The Grey Side of the Force
by Ethan-Silas
Summary: Orphaned Ikedde Kenobi (only distantly related to Jedi Master Kenobi) has spent her whole life on the quiet, comfortable planet of Eckarr with her older brother. When a friend in need hands them over to the First Order, the two of them make their way to Jakku. Little do they know, it was Fate that brought them there, and they cannot hide for long...
1. One - Ikedde

The trading post on Eckarr was, as per usual, filled with a great many people that Ikedde would very much like to avoid, from slave traders to card swindlers, animal fighters and beyond. Many of them spilled into the bar next door.

Eckarr's buildings were designed rather strangely; in fact, Ikedde wasn't quite sure you could really call them buildings, what with three walls, a roof, and no floor. The strange gravel beneath them that covered the entire planet had long been packed down enough to create a stable place to stand. She kept her satchel close to her, wisely keeping the fire that burned in her eyes, carrying herself just so. It would make trouble a lot less likely; she'd found that out long ago, on her very first trek out to the trading post. She made her way into the post, looking around for a familiar- and trusted- face.

Well- _trusted_ was relative, of course. She sat down in front of a Togruta girl named Essohta. Her scarlet skin was covered in white markings, and her crimson eyes were amused. "Hello, child," she said.

Wordlessly, Ikedde fished out a large bag of captured riytt from her satchell. The small rodents squirmed and squeaked as they swam around each other. They were content, though; it likely felt no different than the tiny, overpopulated holes they made their nests.

Ikedde always felt guilty trading living things. However, she took comfort in the fact that Essohta needed riytt for their venom, and would therefore keep them alive.

"You found a nest, I see," Essohta said delightedly, gently taking the bag from her. She eyed the rat-like creatures fondly. "Did you drain it?"

"No, of course not," Ikedde said. "Had to leave some to repopulate- enough that they won't leave and make a new nest. Now, I've got a steady supply of them,"

"Smart, if it works," Essohta said. "Either way, this lot is worth quite a bit. Why don't you come down to my keep tonight, I don't have anything worth this much- unless you're looking for a slave,"

Ikedde tried to keep the scowl off her face, taking the bag back. "No, I very much am not."

"Watch your tone," Essohta warned in a sing-songy whisper, glancing around the post.

"Since when are you in the slave business?"

"I'm not," said Essohta. "But I found a young boy- well, maybe around your age- off near the pits. He had riytt swarming on him- lost a good chunk of meat on his thigh, his waist. Absolutely loaded with venom. Took about, oh, three months to heal him up- and more antidote and supplies than I had to waste. The only way I'm not totally screwed is if I sell him off,"

Ikedde tried to keep the frown off her face. She couldn't come up with a response to that, so she stayed silent, digging through her satchel to find something else Essohta might want.

"Don't worry, kiddo," Essohta whispered. "I'm not going to sell him to Ahto or Rojxe. I'm not going to damn some kid to a life like that. If you did buy a slave, I know you wouldn't treat him like that."

That soothed Ikedde a bit, though the whole thing still didn't sit well with her. She pulled out a bag of greens, though she doubted the Togruta would want them, what with a garden of her own. To Ikedde's surprise, though, she took it and examined it. At Ikedde's inquisitive, mildly concerned expression, she sighed reluctantly. "Riytt got out, ruined my entire harvest. I've got nothing to eat and nothing to trade- hell, half of my plants have been rendered totally useless. Trying to find new seeds is gonna be hell…"

When Ikedde left the post, she'd gotten seventy three ecklorse, two ration tickets, and a few tools from Essohta, two med kits and some grub from a human, and several much-needed spare parts for her ship from Ahto himself. She'd had to rent a cart to carry it all, though, bringing her down to sixty eight ecklorse.

"Bring your brother, tonight!" called Essohta.

_Fat chance_. Ikedde walked down the well-trodden path towards her home; however, when the gravel path gave way to loose rocks that were entirely too easy to sink into, she hopped on the hovering cart, directing it with the controls. It almost felt like flying a rudimentary ship.

Zjekko had left the door open for her. She gritted her teeth angrily; anyone could get in with the door open, not just her. She zoomed up the ramp on the cart, taking it round with her to unload everything where she needed it. Rations and grub in the cockpit, tools and parts where they were needed, medkits in the medbay. By the time she was done, she'd had it so long that cart beeped cheerily, indicating that she owed another ecklors. If she didn't pay, of course, it would just follow her around, collecting more debt, until Ahto found her- and there was a tracking system on all of the carts. Once, Orreadus had tried to destroy one to hide the evidence. Apparently- according to Ahto, anyway- the carts were worth enough that Orreadus was now stuck working in the fields from sun up to down, sleeping in chains in the barn. A slave.

Ikedde popped another ecklors into the cart, then pressed the button to send it back. It sped happily out of the ship, and she closed the door behind it. Realizing her brother hadn't come found her to check the loot, she walked toward the sleeping pods.

He was asleep, of course, the lazy oaf. He was older than Ikedde by three and a half cycles, and yet he still left all the work to her. She kicked him awake, and he startled, hitting his head on the top of his pod and then letting out some rather creative language. Sadistically pleased with herself, Ikedde all but skipped back to her tools. A furious Zjekko followed her, feet stomping, but she was light and quick on her feet. She was buried into pipes and wires, part and tools in hand, by the time he caught up to her. She could barely see his pretty face from where she was, alight with anger. His curly brown hair fell in his face, his lashes long, cheeks round and pink, lips soft. If it weren't for his broad shoulders and lithe, boyish build, one might easily mistake him for a young girl, despite being twenty-two, nearly twenty-three. Ikedde got to work on the ship.

"And what _exactly_ made you think it was alright to-"

"You left the damn door open again, Zjekko," she said, sounding tired. "Riytt could have gotten in. Thieves. Murderers. Worse."

"Worse did get in," he said softly. Alarmed, Ikedde looked over at him, feeling her heart sink. "_You_, ya bully," he snapped. Ikedde seethed and returned to her task.

"You're obnoxious, Zje," she accused sincerely.

"I was just sleeping!"

"While I did everything, as per usual!"

He said nothing, just grumbled the way he always did. Once, it hadn't bothered her to do all the work. Once, Ikedde and Zjekko had been close, though, and she didn't feel like a robot being forced to everything while Her Master got to lounge around all day, pretending she didn't exist unless he had some great gripe with her.

"I miss Mom and Dad," she breathed. She hadn't meant to say it aloud, but when she did, she was happy about it. Maybe Zjekko would soften, glance over his shoulder and say, with saddened, empathetic eyes, _I do, too, kiddo_.

Instead, he froze in place, tensing. A sense of dread washing over Ikedde. "You don't even remember them, do you?" he asked. Not as coldly as he could have, but not nearly as gently as he ought to. Ikedde's heart throbbed as it ripped in two.

"Of course I remember them," she said, trying not to snarl, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice. "I was six, not two." She could only remember snippets, of course. Mom's curly hair in her face, her shimmering blue eyes. Dad's golden beard, his hooked nose, the way his cheeks looked like sponge cake. Dad had been big and tall and soft and strong. Mom had been gentle and sweet and funny and loud.

"Whatever," muttered Zjekko, sitting on the grating. "What'd you get?"

She told him, and he grumbled angrily. "I told you to give up on those stupid parts. We're never going to fix this ship. We're never going to leave. It's one thing if we have a surplus to waste it, but we need more food than-"

"Oh, shut up, would you?" she snapped. "I've still got those riytt to trade with Essohta, and they're worth a lot. Besides, you get no say with what I do with any of _my_ things until you help out in any sort of way at all."

He grumbled again. "Whatever."

She mocked him silently, careful to keep her face hidden from his. She _definitely_ wasn't bringing him now. By the time she finished with all the repairs- hopefully, the last of them, or she might have been a bit more bothered by Zjekko's insistence that they'd never get off this god forsaken planet- dusk was growing ever nearer. She slipped into clean clothes then kicked the wall beneath Zjekko's pod. Entirely awake, he scowled at her. "I'm off to Essohta's. _Close that damned door behind me, Zjekko Kenobi_."

"Yeah, yeah," he snapped. "Just leave me alone. And make sure you get something to _do_ all day. We'll go mad stuck here with no fun,"

"We'll see," Ikedde said, then set out towards Essohta's large house.

It was beautiful, in a way very unbefitting of Eckarr. Every building here was simple and rustic, the weather mild enough to allow most things to be unprotected, exposed to the elements. It hardly even rained, the only real reason not to just leave everything outside. Essohta's house was like a mansion, overlooking the ships and shacks and crude structures everyone else on this planet inhabited. Ikedde walked up the stone slabs leading to the front door, past the visibly destroyed gardens. She knocked on the door, and moments later, Essohta appeared. She'd removed her coat and boots, now standing in a silky, provocative dress made of translucent ribbon, her more _sensitive_ areas only protected by extra layers of the same ribbon. The black looked striking against her bright skin and white markings. Ikedde had always been more jealous of Essohta's beauty than she'd ever admit.

Zjekko would give nearly anything to see Essohta (or any girl, really) in such a state. It felt like yet another one-upping to have left him home.

"Hello, child," Essohta said brightly, alcohol slurring her words. She took a step back. "I was beginning to think you'd sold your pretties to someone else,"

"Never," Ikedde said. "Wouldn't want to ostracize my best trading partner,"

"Mmm, precisely," said Essohta. "Now, follow me,"

They walked through the grand parlour, through a sitting room, through a dining room, to what appeared to be a sunroom, full of tradable goods and one boy, probably between Ikedde and Zjekko in age, sitting on a chair. He wore loose beige cotton, his red hair pulled back in a bun, his pale face dotted in freckles, chin covered in a beard. It made him look slightly older than he probably was. He looked up to see her, eyeing her with almost- fearful resolve.

"I'd like to advise you take him," Essohta said gently as Ikedde handed her the riytt. "You know how sometimes we- we burden the other so as to keep ourselves afloat, but only if we know the other can handle it?"

Feeling a sense of reserved dread, Ikedde glanced over at Essohta, whose eyes had grown remorseful. "No, Essie. I don't."

"Well," she said. "Remember when I sold you food and then sold it to someone else, and you didn't get any?"

"Yes," said Ikedde in a low voice.

"Well, it's like that. I needed the money, and you didn't starve to death." Essohta said, leaning against the doorway. A look of worry fluttered into her eyes. "Oh, you really ought to have brought Zjekko,"

"What did you do, Essie?" Ikedde asked as the dread grew in her stomach.

"He'll be _fine_, I'm sure," said Essohta. "Now- again, I recommend you buy the boy. That will take up most of the worth of the riytt, but I can throw in some more rations, perhaps-"

"I need fuel. Lots of it."

"You can't afford-"

Ikedde fixed Essohta with a scowl, and almost to Ikedde's surprise, the woman buckled. "Fine. See- you're screwing me over for your needs now! Friends provide for one another in times of need."

"What's your name?" she asked the man sitting on the chair.

"Augen," he said.

"Well, nice to meet you, Augen. Help me grab these fuel cans, please," Ikedde said. The two of them took two each.

"You're taking _all_ of it?" asked Essohta. "That's almost enough to cover the cost of the riytt on their own!"

"You put brother in danger!" exclaimed Ikedde.

"I told you to bring-"

"I'm taking all of it. Goodnight."

"One more thing," called a drunken Essohta from the doorway as Ikedde and Augen made their way down the stone slabs. "You'll want to visit the trading post first. To understand what's happening,"

"You're a pain, Essie!" cried Ikedde.

"I hope you brought money, you'll want a cart to carry all those cans!" There was a bit of bitterness in her voice.

As they approached the trading post, Ikedde handed another can to Augen. "Sorry about this," she said softly. "You're free to go, after tonight- but I might need help. Gods only know what Essohta did."

Surprise flooded Augen's blue eyes, then relief. "Thank you," he breathed.

"Please, don't mention it," said Ikedde. "Besides, I already got what I needed- fuel.

"Anyway- here's the plan. We sneak near the trading post and find out- whatever the _hell_ we're meant to find out. We hop on a cart and fly back to my ship. You're welcome to go wherever you'd like after that, or stay if you please. For the night or for good- but if you stay for good, you'll be working for your keep. I've already got one freeloader, I don't need another,"

"Alright," he said. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

They crept up to the trading post, crouching in the gravel, largely camouflaged in the dark and in their grey-beige clothing. Augen's hair was like a beacon, though, so she motioned him about four feet away, into the darker shadows.

Stormtroopers, fully armed, harassing Ahto. _What the hell did Essohta do?_ Neither Ikedde nor Zjekko were wanted. Neither did anything illegal. She crept up into the closed bar and hugged the wall separating the two. Iffu, the bartender, said nothing, just cleaning the bartop. He had no love for the First Order, and Ikedde had never caused him any trouble; he wouldn't give her up randomly. Augen stuck to the shadows, where his hair caught no light. She motioned towards the carts in a line at the side of the building, and he climbed onto one, setting the cans down silently. He left room for her to drive. _Good_.

"And you're certain she hasn't been back since noon?" asked a stormtrooper in a mechanical voice.

"Ah's wuh'uh been tellin'yas, I 'as," said Ahto. "She wen'a speedin' auv to'er ship, no'in ta be seen or 'eard 'round 'ere, avta dat, no sir,"

"We checked her ship," snapped another stormtrooper. "No sign of her, just her brother."

"Ain' 'e anuv vo'yas, 'en?"

"No. We need them both."

"Oy 'av no idea where she ca be, lads- I'd tell yas ivven I did, yeah?"

"She might be out lookin' for riytt," said another voice- Joikke, Ahto's snot-nosed daughter. "Can find 'em down by water. Here's the area she prefers," Ikedde could hear the sound movement, and could all but picture Joikke leading them to the map on the wall.

Vauhz popped out of the trading post, glancing down at her. _Thank the Gods it's him_, she thought. '_What am I wanted for?'_ she mouthed to him.

"Oh- pardon me," said Vauhz, turning round. "What exactly is Miss Kenobi wanted for?"

"None of your business," snapped a stormtrooper.

"I am terribly sorry," said Vauhz, narrowing his eyes. "But if you cannot tell me why you are hunting down _my_ serf, then I cannot allow you on my land."

The sound of a weapon readying, then shutting off. "That will be quite alright," said a surprisingly calming woman's voice, still with that familiar stormtrooper air. "She is suspected of treason."

"Treason?" he asked, tensing. Vauhz did have love for the First Order, and might very well turn her over for that. "Pardon me?"

"We suspect her to be sympathetic to, if not part of, the Resistance."

"So, you're only going to question her," said Vauhz, relaxing.

"As long as she's innocent, yes."

"Well, she's right here."

It was in that moment Ikedde had to make a decision; run, or let herself be questioned. Common sense said to surrender. She knew she had nothing to do with the Resistance, and she knew that as cruel as the First Order could be, they generally left everyday people alone. But something was whispering inside of her- the same thing that helped her find riytts, that helped her bargain at the trading post, that helped her teach _herself_ to fix that damned ship- told her to run. They didn't want to question her; they wanted to capture her.

And they'd already gotten Zjekko.

She darted to the cart, jumping onto it and dropping the can. The stormtroopers started firing immediately, but she dodged each blast. She popped a coin into the slot, and it beeped to life. She zoomed off faster than the carts were meant to go, dropping instinctively down into a crouch before she could be thrust off the cart from the wind. Augen was terrified, and he winced every time a blast hit the side of the cart, staying low to avoid being hit.. Ahto was hollering laughter; the woman, in a chrome uniform, was hollering orders. The stormtroopers hopped on crafts of their own, designed to go much faster. The only thing working in Ikedde's favor was her intimate knowledge of the land- that, and the whispered urges from that strange… Force…

She zigged and zagged, toying with them, trying to get them to crash. Augen was struggling to keep the fuel inside the cart- almost as much as he was struggling to keep _himself_ inside the cart. It was surprisingly easy for Ikedde to dodge, as if she could intuit each blast with just enough time to lean or duck out of the way.

"You're insane!" he screamed. He looked over at the stormtroopers. "It's not my fault! I'd jump if I could!"

"Coward!" she screamed.

"Traitor!" he countered.

"I didn't do anything! Do you hear me? I'm innocent!"

"Then _why_ are you running?" asked the chrome woman.

"Because you're _shooting at me!_ You _kidnapped_ my brother, and now you're shooting at me!"

She wanted to drive over the pits- she could really lose them there- but she knew they'd just send stormtroopers to wait at her ship. There probably already were some there. She cursed under her breath, wondering how she was going to get out of this.

The ship door was open, of course. For once, she didn't mentally curse Zjekko for that- primarily, because it couldn't be his fault. She zoomed atop it and closed the door behind them; two stormtroopers ran round the corner as it closed. Augen raised his arms immediately in surrender; Ikedde did the same, walking forward, pretending to be shocked to see them inside.

"All this fuss for an _innocent_ little girl," muttered one of them, turning her around, putting her arms behind her back. She head butted him before he could cuff her and she grabbed his gun; before the other could whack her with his electric stick, she shot him, then the other. A rush of sadness and grief flooded her.

"Oh, Gods," she whined. "I've killed them." She looked over at Augen as if he could offer any comfort. He stared down at their bodies, looking as sick as Ikedde felt. She tossed him the stick then kept going, searching; no Zjekko, no more stormtroopers. She raced to the fuel to take it to the tank; she could hear their ship fast approaching. The ground soldier's blasters couldn't damage this ship, but their large, daunting ship could. She filled the tank as quickly as she could move, then ran to the cockpit. "Augen! Get here, now!"

He ran forward, looking terrified, disgruntled. "We're going to die," he said.

"We're not,"

"There's not way we're getting away from here," Augen argued.

"We will,"

"How do you plan to rescue your brother from _the First Order_\- and Captain Phasma, of all people! I'd bet General Hux and Kylo Ren are in that ship as we speak!"

"I don't," she admitted softly.

Augen paused. "You're not saving your brother?"

"I know Zjekko," she admitted softly. "He is innocent. He will be compliant. They won't hurt him."

"Then why are you running?"

"I may be innocent, but I am not compliant. I want nothing more than to be off this planet and as far away from it as I can get." She started up the ship and turned on all shields, then zoomed up, close to the ship. She was too small for their weapons to work at such close range, _if_ she kept moving. "And, trust me, he'll be more than happy to be released and find he doesn't have to deal with me anymore," she added sadly.

"You don't get along?" he asked as she searched for a relatively safe place to go.

"He hates me," she said miserable. "And this ship, and what I do, and what I buy. Maybe it's fate that we get separated,"

_Jakku_. The epitome of nowhere. She set a course for an L rather than directly to it, hoping that might throw off the enemy if they really cared enough to track her that far. "Get ready for hyperspace, Augen,"

"God, I hate space travel," he muttered. And then, they were off- barrelling towards the nothing location she'd set out for them. "Where are we going?"

"Jakku,"

"I've never heard of Jakku," he said with a frown.

"Exactly," she said.

Suddenly, white-clad arms grabbed the stick that Augen had already set down, then whacked him with it. He cried out and fell just as Ikedde shot him, bewildered. "I searched the whole ship- I don't understand-" Without thinking, she glanced down at the blaster. It was set to stun.

They hadn't been trying to kill her. For the _allegedness_ of her 'crime', that made sense, but generally the First Order didn't take very well to people running. _They want me _alive _for something_, she thought. _But what?_

She straightened Augen in his chair, then dragged the stormtrooper to a sleeping pod and locked him in, then the other. They'd be the problem of whoever she traded this ship to. Then, she made her way back to the cockpit, where Augen was still out cold. She stared at the brilliant blue of hyperspace, something she'd never seen before.

Beautiful.

It was in that moment of tranquility that she first began to miss her brother. A little bit of worry crept into the back of her mind, but she ignored it, failing to realize that it was that _Force_, the one that never seemed to be wrong. She hoped he'd be happier alone. He always said he would be.


	2. Two - Kylo

"We must retrieve the girl before the Supreme Leader demands a report," he said, gripping the railing with his gloved hands. The sound of his mechanical voice had grown familiar to him. General Hux barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes, ever agitated to be bossed around by Kylo Ren.

"Yes," agreed the General, standing with his chest out, gazing out at space pridefully over his nose. He looked at least as obnoxious as he was. "I doubt he would be particularly happy with your inability to retrieve her, on top of your inability to find her in the first place."

He had to resist the urge to strangle Hux with every single cell in his body, and even still, it was quite difficult. She'd been hidden amongst several other Force sensitive people- including their ally Essohta Asani. It was a foolish mistake, one that he very much planned on making up for. "Mind your own failures, General," said he with a quiet, warning voice. "They are much more plentiful than my own."

Hux's face twitched with the effort it took not to respond. He wished Snoke wouldn't keep them around each other as often as he did- in truth, he wished Hux would mess up horribly enough that Snoke did away with him altogether.

"I feel her," he said softly, sensing her now familiar presence as her ship returned to realspace. His eyes narrowed; she was nowhere near any planet, any moon- anything at all. "She's-" he froze as she went back into hyperspace. "She's trying to lose us. It would work, too, if I wasn't familiar with her now."

"What is she doing?"

"Taking indirect routes to wherever she's going, in and out of hyperspace." Impressive.

"Well, where is she going?" demanded Hux.

"I don't know," he said through gritted teeth. "She's in hyperspace. The best we can do is follow her in and out of it, or simply wait until she's arrived at her destination, or stopped for more fuel."

"How many trips can she make in that tiny old thing?"

Kylo thought for a moment. "Two, maybe three. Phasma reported that she had several canisters on her cart with her."

"Wonderful. So she could have enough fuel for twelve stops by the time she needs to stop for fuel?"

"Give or take," said Kylo.

"We ought to retrieve the map first, then," said Hux. "Perhaps finding Skywalker will put you back in Supreme Leader's favor regardless of how long it takes to find her."

Jakku. They were close enough to it. If he started to feel her presence drifting farther away, he'd set out on his own and leave the retrieval of the map to Hux. He nodded wordlessly, and a rather pleased Hux gave the call.

That was the biggest downside, of course. How smug Hux was for thinking of a mediocre plan.

* * *

As they made their way towards Jakku, Kylo decided he might as well interrogate the boy. He looked terrified and furious, strapped down to that table. Kylo stared at him in silence for several minutes, patiently. His lip began to quiver within moments; he looked near tears by the time he finally spoke. "What do you want from me? I haven't done anything wrong- if someone has, it's got to Ikedde."

"Is that so?" asked Kylo emotionlessly. "Do you have any information?"

"She- she-'' he struggled to find something to accuse her of. "She must be a Rebel sympathizer. She reads and talks about those people all the time- traded what we needed for her stupid books, their stupid memorobilia. She never shuts up about Anakin Skywalker and- Pamela, or whatever her name was."

Padmé. Intrigue flooded Kylo as he mused about that for a moment. It could probably work in his favor.

"Anakin Skywalker wasn't exactly a Rebel, was he?"

"He betrayed the emperor," argued the boy- Zjekko, or something of the sort. Kylo was significantly less interested in him than in Ikedde, though Supreme Leader wanted them both. Kylo didn't respond, but began to circle Zjekko slowly. "Okay," the boy whispered to himself. "She- she talks about his son, too. Luke. She used to have this fantasy that he'd show up on Eckarr one day and sweep her away for Jedi training. I told her that that was nonsense, but she never listened."

"Interesting," said Kylo pausing behind him. "Do you think she can use the Force?"

He laughed dismissively. "No."

"Do you believe in the Force?"

"No."

Kylo continued to walk. "Kenobi, eh?"

"Yeah," said Zjekko, annoyed. "Like Obi-Wan. She really gets a kick out of that- we're barely related. Third cousins, twice removed. We've never met anyone who ever met him."

Kylo faced him. "Which of your parents was a Kenobi- your father?"

"Yeah, hence the name,"

"And your mother? What was she?" Two Force-sensitive families might explain why she was so very strong.

"I don't know," he said. "I was eight when she died, long before I'd have thought to ask. We never talked to anyone else in our family."

"I see," said Kylo. He wanted to simply force his way into Zjekko's mind, taking everything he needed all at once, but Snoke had given him specific instructions not to make either of them distrustful. It was a routine questioning, something they'd no doubt heard of before. If he used the Force- especially in such an intrusive way- Kylo had no doubt Zjekko would be terrified of him. "We're going to test your blood. Find out your family,"

"Why?" he asked.

"You've been accused of treason- of being a part of the rebellion," said Kylo. "It's a routine part of our investigation."

"Oh," said Zjekko. "Looking for connections to known rebels,"

"Exactly." Kylo readied the boy's arm, and he began to breathe heavily, though he tried to hide his fear. He nearly gagged as he saw the needle, and whimpered as Kylo poked him, all but crying by the time he removed it. "Don't like needles, do you?"

"I don't mind needles," he snapped defensively. Kylo smirked, amused by this impish, cowardly boy.

"Ah." Kylo walked out with the blood sample, delivering it to the lab and waiting impatiently as they analyzed it. "About four thousand, sir," said the technician. Less than half the amount of the average Jedi- of course, midi-chlorians alone didn't solely determine a Force user's abilities. Someone with an unimaginably high count might be horrible with the Force if left untrained; someone with a smaller count could get by with lots of training and natural fighting skill. However, Kylo doubted Zjekko could handle training or fighting.

As they approached Jakku and left hyperspace, Kylo ordered for Zjekko to be moved to their comfiest cell with no less than six stormtroopers outside of it, in addition to the usual guards.

It would prove to have been a wise decision, he noted, as he sent the rebel to be brought aboard. He'd need to be interrogated, of course, to find what he'd done with the map.

"And the civilians?" Phasma asked.

Kill them all was his first instinct, but in that moment he could feel Ikedde return to realspace, right in front of Jakku- the Niima outpost, to be specific. He glanced at the civilians- he could use this to his advantage. "Let them go." They all seemed to sigh in relief, though he could feel Phasma's reluctance and agitation. He looked out at them. "Let no one on Jakku say the First Order does not care for its people."

"With all due respect, sir," said Phasma. "They're very definitively Rebel sympathizers."

"Maybe this will show them that there is no reason to support a needless war." Kylo led them all back onto the ship, quickly making his way to Hux. "She's on Jakku,"

"Is she? Where?"

"Go to the Niima outpost."

"That's awfully lucky, isn't it," muttered Hux. Kylo scowled at him, but it was hidden by his helmet. Then, he left to interrogate the prisoner.

Right before he, Zjekko, and a stormtrooper escaped.

* * *

The closer he got the easier it was to slip into her mind the way he had back on Eckarr. Instead of cautious and frightened, she was now calm and determined. She was wondering whether that man would stay with her- Augen. A slave she'd reluctantly purchased and immediately freed. She'd just traded her ship for a newer one- though newer was, of course, relative- and there were stormtroopers trapped in the sleeping pods of the old one. She'd figured out the blaster was set to stun, and switched it to kill.

Perfect.

He thought about how best to go about this for a long moment, until FN-2187 was spotted with a BB unit and a strange girl in tow. They were running past Ikedde's ship until the one in front of them exploded, and then they turned towards Ikedde.

As Kylo hurried towards them, using the Force to propel himself faster than he ought to be able to go, he noticed something-

He recognized that ship. The Millenium Falcon. Gritting his teeth, he pointed a blaster directly at FN-2187, igniting his lightsaber in the other. The three of them froze as Phasma and her troops marched forward, aimed directly at them, and the ships chasing them loomed overhead.

"Captain Phasma," said Kylo.

"Yes, sir?"

"Please retrieve Kenobi and her companion without threat nor violence. The Supreme Leader himself wants her unfrightened."

"Yes, sir." Phasma, followed by six of her men, marched onto the Millenium Falcon. She'd left it open, probably hoping she would seem less suspicious. And perhaps she would have if Kylo did not know exactly where she was.

"Cuff them," instructed Kylo, and two stormtroopers marched out to obey. The BB-8 tried to roll off discreetly, and Kylo allowed it. He'd make a show of the Force as soon as Ikedde was out here to see.

'Please, hold your fire,' Phasma said to Ikedde.

'Stay away from me,' she pleaded, frustrated and confused. 'I haven't done anything wrong!'

'I believe you,' said Phasma in a voice more gentle than Kylo would have ever suspected the woman could be capable of. 'We just need to investigate. No harm will come to you- and if you come with me now, you will not face the consequences of running.'

'Listen to her,' hissed the companion- Augen. 'You great fool- just go with her.'

Ikedde followed Phasma off of the Millenium Falcon, Augen in tow. "I want my ship," she said. He could hear her as she grew ever nearer to the exit. "I'll have lost a lot of money otherwise." Kylo put his lightsaber away, intending to show her it later. "We'll bring your ship," said Phasma, motioning for one of the stormtroopers to go back to fly it.

Ikedde was a girl of average height and average weight, though perhaps a little soft on the belly and wide in the hips. She wore ugly beige clothing that fit her quite nicely. Her hair was somewhere between black and dark brown. Though her coloring was much darker, and she did have that same girlish lilt as her brother, she had a strange resemblance to young Obi-Wan Kenobi- they were so distantly related, Kylo was sure it was nothing more than pure coincidence. She paused to gawk at the stormtroopers, FN-2187 and the girl, the droid, the ship, and finally- Kylo Ren himself. She went from a shocked awe to a jolt of muted fear, which quickly melted into a more muted sort of awe and a strong sense of intimidation. He reached out and, with the Force, pulled the droid closer, hovering around his legs. Her awe grew and her fear returned, and she actually took a step back.

"Escort those two and him to holding cells, please. Transport the droid inside- we'll find a way to get the map." Kylo said. He looked over at Ikedde again as a stormtrooper retrieved the terrified Augen, then followed the girl and FN-2187 onboard.

"I want to see my brother," Ikedde said, tensing.

"I'm so sorry, your brother was kidnapped by that man," Kylo explained, motioning to FN-2187.

"Hey, I didn't kidnap anybody-"

"Silence, traitor," said Phasma. He looked at her, jaw working, then closed his mouth, full of resolve. She looked at her men. "Do not let them escape."

"You don't know where he is?" she asked, her voice- broken, just for a moment. She'd felt something- a disturbance.

Her brother was dead. She just didn't realize that's what that meant. "We will find him," said Kylo softly. "Come with me, please."

* * *

Kylo did not tie her down to the table- nor did he bring her to his usual interrogation room. Instead, he whispered for FN-2187 to be led there, instead. He led her to the front of the ship, where General Hux gave him a very dirty look. Kylo sat down with Ikedde off to the side, where no one could hear them, they would not be interrupted, and they had a rather nice view out of the window. He could feel how strong the Force was with her. "Tell me-"

"Take off the mask," she requested- no, demanded- softly. Her brow was furrowed. She thought that if she could see his face, she'd be less frightened of him. After a pause, he did, setting it on the table between them. She was surprised; she found him handsome. She also only seemed more frightened of him, though in a much more personal way. "What's your name?"

"Kylo Ren," he said. "Tell me yours,"

"Ikedde Kenobi," she said, raising her chin in defiance. "You know that already."

"Yes, but asking for someone's name is the polite way to do things,"

"I suppose," she said. She didn't know how to be polite. "Is that one name or two?"

"Two," he said.

She looked down at the floor, troubled. Fear about her brother was keeping her on edge. He placed a gloved hand on her skin, and she looked up at him, startled and unnerved. "We will find Zjekko," he assured her.

She was comforted only enough to push him out of her mind. She pulled her hand away and peered restlessly out the window at hyperspace.

"Tell me," Kylo said again after a long silence. "Have you ever heard of the Force?"

"No," she lied quietly- though with much skill. She sounded bored and impatient, as if she just wanted to be done with all this, but he knew she wanted to hear his explanation of the Force.

"Have you ever heard of the Jedi? The Sith?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it. She was considering whether she could say no without it sounding suspicious. "Maybe. I have no idea what they are, though,"

"Have you ever heard of Luke Skywalker?"

A pause. "Yes. My mother used to tell me bedtime stories about him- didn't he fight the Emperor?"

"More or less," said Kylo. "He was a Jedi."

"Okay," she said.

"So was his sister. General Leia Organa in the Resistance."

"... Okay. Wasn't his sister a Princess?"

Kylo ran a tongue over his teeth, and felt the little spark of attraction in her chest. "She was, until her home planet was destroyed by the Death Star. It's a little difficult to be a Princess if you have no people to rule."

She considered that for a moment. "I suppose so."

"Do you know what happened to Leia after the Emperor was killed?"

"No," she said truthfully. "I heard she married that pilot, the friend of her brother- I can't think of his name right now," she lied.

"Han Solo," he said.

"Something like that."

"Leia was a Force user, too," Kylo said. "Just like Luke."

"I still don't know what that means,"

"Luke did impossible things- blocked blasters with a lightsaber, for one. Only a Force user can do that."

"So, it's a power? Luke was magic?" She believed that.

"No," he said. "It's exactly what it sounds like- a Force. It exists outside of Force users, and can be manipulated, just like time or space or kinetic energy. Luke was trained in how to manipulate it."

"I see," she said, trying to sound bored. It didn't work; she was quite intrigued, and it showed.

"They had a son," said Kylo Ren softly.

She knew that, too. "Did they? That's nice."

"Named him Ben Solo,"

Like Obi-Wan, she thought. She must have gotten hold of some very sensitive information, somehow. "Okay,"

"You know about Darth Vader?"

"Of course, everyone does."

"His name was Anakin Skywalker, once. Some Force users change their name when they begin training."

"Curious," she said, lighting up at the mention of Anakin. "Was he related to Luke somehow?"

"He was his father," Kylo said.

"I see."

"He was a Jedi, too. Obi-Wan Kenobi's apprentice,"

She nodded, staring down at the table. "Interesting,"

"Are you related to Obi-Wan, by chance?"

"Perhaps, distantly," she said. "I doubt Kenobi is a particularly common name." It struck her then that Zjekko might have told Kylo everything already, but she awkwardly pushed aside the concern; it's too late now. He suppressed a smirk.

"He was quite strong, Anakin," said Kylo. "But very easily manipulated." A defensive anger seared through Idekke, so sudden and unexpected that she failed to hide it. Her charade up, he leaned forward just as she scowled at the window. "But you knew all this already, didn't you, Ikedde? You are related to Obi-Wan. You do know about Anakin, and Padmé, and Luke and Leia and Han, Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian, the droids- R2D2 and C-3PO are their names, and the Jedi and the Sith."

"What do you want from me, Kylo?" she asked.

"Tell me what you think of them. I'll know if you lie to me again."

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "It feels dumb. Like a school girl lecturing her teacher,"

He allowed himself a small smirk. "My apologies."

"The Jedi-" she rolled her eyes, uncomfortable. As discreetly as he could, he made it a bit easier for her to speak her mind. "They were fools. Mislead. Wrong. They saw a passionate, caring boy and refused to teach him until they didn't have a choice. When he continued to care, to love, to feel and to live they tried to make him stop. To beat him into the empty, emotionless shells they were. Obi-Wan tried to help, but he was wrong, too, and he only made it worse. When the woman he loved fell pregnant, he grew more sure that she was going to die, and he needed a way to deal with that and try to prevent it, and the Jedi only pushed him closer to the Dark Side. They were blind to human needs, to human emotion. They were blind to their folly- they were following Darth Sideous, and they had no idea. And then, when the Chancellor became the Emperor, before he did anything wrong they tried to kill him just for using the Force in a way they didn't like. Padmé died in childbirth anyway, because no one would help Anakin, and Obi-Wan hid his children from him and disappeared, leaving the galaxy to fend for itself. When the Empire did prove to be corrupt and horrible for its people, he and Yoda did nothing. It wasn't until Luke Skywalker stumbled upon 'Old Ben' and asked outright for his help that he decided to do- anything- and just let himself be killed anyway. Yoda tried to do the same thing he did to Anakin, to Luke, but Luke was too Light to go to the Dark side, and he brought Anakin back." She spoke with a fiery passion, her love for both Anakin and Luke entirely apparent in her voice. Now, however, she relaxed, a bit embarrassed by herself. "Admittedly, information after that was a little difficult to find. I think Luke was training more Jedi- including his nephew- but people tend to be more respectful of people's privacy when they're alive."

"Very good," he said softly. "I have no doubts that you have no sympathy for the Resistance."

"Can I go then?"

"I thought you wanted us to find your brother?"

"I do," she said softly.

"I'd like to run a test for midi-chlorians on your blood," he said.

"Midi-chlorians?"

He got a small smile. "They're a large part of how Force users do what they do."

"You think I can use the Force?"

"I know you can," he said softly. "I can sense it."

"How?"

"With the Force, obviously,"

"Why can't you use the Force to sense for midi-chlorians then?"

He looked patiently at her until she sighed. "Fine. Do whatever you want to, I guess."


	3. Three - Hux

"I think it would be best if we remain on Jakku," said Kylo Ren, staring out the window. Kenobi was still sitting nearby, tracing shapes on the table in front of her; it irked Hux greatly that they were to talk about this in front of her. "If they _do_ manage to escape again, it will be easier to recapture them."

"Very well," said Hux. He agreed with Ren's reasoning, but knew why he _truly_ wished to remain here- to avoid the Supreme Leader.

"I think it would be wise to send out stormtroopers to search for the Resistance pilot and the Kenobi boy," he added.

"Of course," Hux almost growled. It didn't sit right with him that Ren felt he was entitled to be bossing him- _General_ Hux!- around. He sent the order, then looked back at the man's face. It was rare to see him without his helmet.

It was strange. He'd seen all too much of Leia Organa and Han Solo- they had been friends with his father- and never before had he noticed any resemblance to them in their son. Now, at just this angle in this particular lighting, the angle of his face was quite clearly Han's, and his brown eyes were quite clearly his mother's.

It made Hux hate him more, perhaps.

"What are you going to do with her?" Hux asked finally. She'd been sitting there the entire time he'd been interrogating the stormtrooper- who had no idea where the pilot or Kenobi were.

Ren looked over at her, studying her for a long moment. "She's ready to speak to the Supreme Leader as soon as we have what we need. She is exactly what he was looking for."

"Good," said Hux. They were in dire need of as much good fortune as they could come across.

"I know you have no inkling of what it means," said Ren in a somewhat snide voice. Hux tensed. "But she has a remarkably high midi-chlorian count. Higher than mine, higher than Darth Sideous. Nearly higher than Darth Vader's, even,"

"Wonderful," said a disinterested Hux.

"It's a good thing we got hold of her. She would make a horrible enemy."

"Let's hope she does," said Hux. "For the Resistance."

"Yes."

Before either of them felt a need to say anything more, Phasma appeared. Ren appraised her momentarily. "Good. Where is FN-2187?"

"Still in the interrogation room, I believe, sir." she replied. He prickled, then glanced over at Kenobi, who was spying discreetly.

"Bring him to me."

"Yes, sir."

"FN-2187," began Ren.

"_Finn_. My name is Finn," he insisted fiercely, jerking away from Phasma. Ren seemed acutely aware of the fact that Kenobi was watching, not bothering to be discreet now.

"Very well, Finn," said the man. "You're a traitor and guilty of assisting the Resistance." '_Finn'_ raised his chin in defiance but said nothing. Hux felt himself sneer at him in disgust; what he wouldn't give to smack that look clean off his smug face. "You will undergo standard reprimanding and report back to me. It seems your days as stormtrooper are over, but there might be use for you yet." Finn looked almost shocked at this, and Phasma led him away.

"Forgive me for intruding," said Hux disingenuously. "But the stormtroopers are _my_ army."

Ren turned his head toward Hux, away from Kenobi. "Remember the Supreme Leader's order,"

Hux tried not to grind his teeth. "Then why have this discussion in front of her?"

"She needs to trust us, our cause. She needs to believe we are wholly in the right, and the Resistance is causing damage and bloodshed for entirely no reason."

"That is already true,"

"She won't believe that if we sentence a man to death in front of her- and showing her this will gain her trust. We're not afraid of who knows how we run things, because we run them justly. Calm down, Hux. I'm sure you'll have another stormtrooper to crucify for deserting before your days as general run out."

Anger washed over Hux, and he scowled at the window, silent. He was too furious to argue, too furious to think. The only thing that remained in his mind was a burning hatred for _Kylo Ren_.

"Now," said Ren sometime later, once Hux had calmed down. "I'd like to ask you a favor, if you don't mind."

_Oh_, now _that_ was rich. Hux shot Ren a piercing glance. "Out with it."

"I think Augen might be rather susceptible to your personality type," said Ren. "I could fake it, of course, but he and Ikedde have formed a sort of reluctant bond, and I have the feeling that if he relays to her a side of me different than the one she spoke to, she might grow terribly suspicious of us all. All I need is where he came from, who he is, and why he was with Ikedde."

"You want me to do your job for you?" Hux asked with a sneer, straightening.

Ren looked over with taunting eyes. "Well, I have been doing your job for you for a while. It's only fair to let you do _something_ other than speak into that intercom,"

"You-" hissed Hux. Ren's eyes darted to Kenobi, who was frowning at Hux. The General closed his eyes and, with great difficulty, calmed himself.

Kylo Ren was absolutely insufferable, but he had to obey the Supreme Leader's wishes. He focused solely on that as he stalked towards the interrogation room, hissing into the intercom for this _Augen_ to be brought there.

He looked tense and intimidated, terrified whenever he glanced at the upright table most of Ren's subjects were tied to. He himself sat a table off to the side. After watching him, his nervous mannerisms, for a long while, Hux walked into the room and sat across from him. Augen was restless and anxious the moment he saw Hux, who only stared at him in response. He was a tall man, roughly the same height as Hux, with a much broader build. His cheeks were covered by a soft, well-kept beard, and his blue eyes shimmered with a cowardly reluctance.

"I'd like to make this as quick as possible," said Hux softly but firmly. "Wouldn't you?"

"Yes," he exhaled sharply, desperately. "Please."

"What is your name?"

"Augen. Orsen Augen."

"Where are you from, Orsen Augen?"

"An unnamed mining planet near the Outer Rim," he said.

"How did you end up on Eckarr, and in the company of Miss Kenobi?"

"My parents died recently in a collapsed mine," Augen said sadly, letting his eyes fall. "My mother was from Eckarr, so I buried her there. I had to sell everything we owned to get a ride to Eckarr, and I wound up half eaten by rodents. The woman who 'saved' me said the price of her help was my freedom. She sold me as a slave to Ikedde, who freed me and asked for me to help her willingly." Gratitude was apparent in his blue eyes, but it morphed into desperation as he looked back up at Hux. "But I didn't know she was a rebel- I didn't know she would run. I tried to convince her to stop-"

Hux held up a hand. "Enough. That's all I need."

"Am I free to go, then?" he asked. Hux said nothing as he left the room.

"Do we let him go, sir?" asked a stormtrooper. Hux gave him a look.

"Absolutely not."

When Hux returned, Ren was sitting with Kenobi again, both of them silent. Almost reluctantly, and with a rising agitation, he walked over. Ren glanced at him. "His name is Orsen Augen, he-" Hux stopped as he realized Ren had already read his mind. "He told me nothing you don't already know," Hux said, trying not to speak in a way that would make the girl distrustful of Ren.

"Good. Thank you, General. I'd appreciate it if you returned him to his cell and sent the girl to the interrogation room."

"Very well," said an agitated Hux.

He was going to go mad if he was to answer to Kylo Ren for much longer.


	4. Four - Ikedde

Kylo stayed in his seat for several long minutes after the other man left. Ikedde studied his handsome face for a long moment. "Don't you have something to do?"

"Yes," he replied. "She'll be perfectly fine waiting."

She was aware of his presence in her mind- had been for the past hour, hour and a half. It bothered her, like a large force existing in the middle of her brain, listening, making everything work around it. _A large force_. She supposed it was _the_ Force, after all. Amused by her, he smirked.

"Get out of my head," he bade softly. He pulled back a bit, but not all the way. She gave him a look, and almost surprised, he finally retreated.

"You're improving must faster than expected," he said softly. "And all on your own."

She looked at his face, still uncovered by the mask. His eyes were studious but surprisingly gentle, his face calm, his posture relaxed. He was trying to make up for his lack of insight into her mind by examining her face, noticing every single reaction and emotion in it, and she felt as if he understood what she was thinking just as well as he had before. She had the strangest urge to crawl into his lap and lay there, curled into a warm ball. She flushed before she could stop herself, and his eye twitched, trying to discern the cause. She'd be even more embarrassed if she didn't know that her lack of any real emotional closeness to anyone would make her more susceptible to acting like a fool. "How old are you, Kylo?" she asked softly before she could think not to.

"Twenty-nine," he said. Ten years older than herself. She'd have guessed late twenties, she supposed, if she'd thought about it. "How old are you?"

"Nineteen," she said. "Almost twenty, I think. But it's hard to keep track, what with Eckarr's years being so long, and I didn't exactly keep a calendar."

"You're twenty-two," he said softly, a little amused. "You were born on Yieken, in a big city. We found your birth records."

"I'm… twenty-two?" she asked, for some reason saddened by this.

"Yes," he said.

"How old is Zjekko? Twenty-four?"

"Twenty-five," he said.

She frowned at her lap. She felt like she'd lost those three years, though in truth, she knew she'd just already lived them… _Wasting away, lonely and alone._ Maybe she'd lost all twenty-two years. "What were my parents' names?"

Kylo smiled down at the table. "Eil-Lor and Thaya Kenobi," he said. "Though your mother's maiden name was Jorresi." Ikedde thought about that for a long moment.

"I have to go," he said. "I'll return shortly."

"Okay," she said. She watched him slowly walk away, helmet in one hand, and a flood of desperation and gratitude flooded her. She grabbed his wrist. "Kylo?"

He glanced over his shoulder with kind eyes. "Yes?"

"Thank you."

He smiled. "Of course."

* * *

When Kylo returned, he walked fast with long strides, his cap billowing around him. He pointed an angry finger at the ginger man. "General Hux!" he accused, his voice mechanical and strange behind his helmet. He seemed so different now from the man who had gently questioned her not terribly long ago.

"Pardon-"

"They've escaped. _Again_. Finn, Dameron, the girl, Augen- the droid." He stood before him, radiating fury. "With the help of two more people, who managed to board starkiller base without being detected. Do you want to know _who_ it was?" Augen had left her? She felt a pang of betrayal that she tried to shake. He didn't owe her anything.

"Who?" snarled Hux, trying to keep his anger in check.

"Han Solo and Chewbacca. Two men that your people ought to recognize." He looked over at Ikedde as Hux processed that, hissing orders into his intercom. With a temporary softness, he said: "And they stole your ship."

Panic flooded her, but she looked down, mouth agape. Horror replaced it. That was all she had in the entire world, and it was gone. She had no money, nowhere to go. She let that settle as she continued to eavesdrop.

"We'll find them-" started Hux.

"You'd better!" Kylo snarled.

Hux eyed with Kylo with contempt and disgust, before glancing over at Ikedde, who barely noticed. Kylo let out a growl, then stalked a few steps away, composing himself. Gingerly, she crept her way into his mind the way he had done to her.

He didn't want to frighten her. He thought about her with a certain tenderness that made her heart flutter. Before she could gather anything else, however, he noticed and pushed her away, spinning to look at her. His expression was hidden by his helmet, his body language indecipherable. She slunk into her chair, looking back down at the table.

"Come with me, please, Ikedde," he said, his voice entirely neutral. She followed him, feet dragging.

When they stopped, it seemed to be in a library of sorts, tucked away in a private corner. The room was dark but warm, the seats large and comfortable, their spot small and intimate. They sat across from one another, their knees touching. She tried to pull them away, but there was no avoiding it. "I'm sorry," she whispered after a moment of silence.

"For what?"

"Intruding,"

His head tilted to the side. It was so hard to talk to him with the helmet on. "It's alright, Ikedde. I did the same to you, didn't I? I would like to ask that you not do it again, though; I know classified information."

"Alright," she said, resisting the urge to apologize again. In a stroke of confidence, she flicked her wrist, trying to remove the helmet; instead, his head jerked slightly.

"Ow," he said playfully, taking his helmet off himself. He looked at her from beneath his dark lashes. "If you wanted me to remove the helmet, you could have asked."

"I wanted to try," she whispered, looking away. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," he said again, slowly tugging of his leather gloves. His hands beneath were large and veiny, strong and masculine. "Give me your hands."

She looked at him, startled, flushing. His eyes flooded with a flirtatious verve, and she swallowed, then put her shaking hands against his gloves. He seemed a little awkward, a little unused to acting like this, a little unsure of himself. It was in stark contrast to the version who had yelled at General Hux for allowing the others to escape. "W-why?"

"Close your eyes," he instructed softly.

Ikedde offered a stern scowl before obeying, her face feeling hot. "Okay…" The warmth of his hands seemed to flood over her comparably tiny hands. The warmth kept going, strangely, and it felt like little blossoms of heat were swirling in between her palms. "What are you-"

"Shh," he bade gently. They were silent for a few moments longer as the swirling grew hotter and faster; a shiver raced through her. "Okay, open your eyes."

She did, looking down at their hands. His were cupped around hers, her palms about an inch and a half away from one another. He moved their hands into a small bowl, revealing stunning red flowers resting on her skin. She felt her mouth fall agape. "How did you- the Force, obviously- but _how_?"

"I've been training with the Force since I was a kid," he said. "If you practice long enough, grow strong enough… You can do almost anything. You might have to make your own way to it, but…" He plucked up one of the flowers. It was such a pure, shocking shade of red that Ikedde had never seen before. He tucked it behind her ear. "They'll never wilt, never burn, never die. They'll live long beyond either of us… I like to make things like that. Flowers, bugs- small things, things that won't mind surviving that long."

"That's… Absolutely amazing," she breathed, staring at his face. His dark brown eyes met hers, a pool of warmth and mystery. He had a small, kind smile on his face. His expression was full of an innocent, boyish fondness. She leaned closer to him, tilting her head slightly to the side, letting her eyes fall to his full lips. He swallowed, smile quirking a bit wider. He leaned in for a moment.

"You ought to get some sleep," he said softly.

She closed her eyes, inhaled slowly through her nose, and sat up. She placed her hands, still cradling his impossible flowers, in her lap. It wasn't until then that she realized how exhausted she was. "Perhaps you're right."

* * *

Ikedde spent a great while with Kylo Ren, following him around as he looked for the escapees. She was witness to less and less of his work, but she was more than alright with that; she spent most of her time in whatever room Kylo had designated to be hers. Here- some place they kept coming back to, somewhere Kylo said he couldn't reveal the name of- she tended to frequent his room, as it was full of books. He didn't seem to mind.

She made sure to keep her distance from him, though, physically. As much as she yearned for him- and it only increased as time went by- she didn't want to make a fool of herself again.

He walked into his room, seeing her reclined against his bed, sitting on the floor. She smiled up at him, setting her book down. "Kylo,"

"Ikedde," he said fondly, leaning on the wall. "We're moving again."

"Alright," she said softly. "Have we found the escapees?"

"Yes, we have. On Takodana."

She thought for a moment. "You know," she said. "If where we are is so classified, you shouldn't tell me that. I could, in theory, estimate our distance and direction from it to determine our location,"

"I suppose you could," he said amusedly. "I'm not too worried about it, though."

"Any sign of Zjekko?"

"No," he admitted softly. He felt conflicted.

"Take your helmet off," she requested softly.

"Right," he said, and did just that.

"You'd think it would be habit by now,"

He gave that small smirk-smile he was so wont to give her. "You'd think,"

She reached out for it, and after a pause, he handed it to her. She looked inside at the complex mechanisms designed to keep it comfortably attached to his face- why her attempt to rid him of it hadn't worked. It was a shiny, smooth material, light but strong. "How do you put it on?"

"I don't think it would fit you, your heads too small."

Ikedde shot him a playful look. "It's not my fault you're so large,"

Kylo smirked, then sat on the ground in front of her. "We have to go,"

"Then why did you sit?"

He studied her for a moment, then looked down at the ground. "I don't know,"

She smiled at him, then lay on her back, looking up at the ceiling. She hadn't wanted to ask when she was free, because she didn't want them to make her leave, but she was curious what they were doing with her- finding her brother, of course. But it felt like… More. She didn't suppose they'd cart her around just for that. She didn't suppose _Kylo Ren_ would generally have that task assigned to him.

Come to think of it, what was so special about a stormtrooper, a scavenger, and a slave that made Kylo Ren the man for this job?

"Why are you toting me around?" she asked quietly. He inhaled slowly, deeply, through his nose, looking at her face. "Not that I mind, of course. I've got nowhere to go, and you make quite good company."

"We're looking for you brother," he said.

"We both know I don't need to follow you around to do that."

He sighed, as if in surrender, looking down. "I can't tell you."

Well, that was not the admission of the century. "Am I in trouble, Kylo?" she asked softly, but she felt almost instinctively that she was not.

"No," he said. He seemed to be struggling to think of a way he could tell her that he was allowed to. "I won't let any harm come to you, ever," he said softly, sincerely.

She looked at his face, eyes still downcast, but his jaw was set with a protective determination. "I know."

He looked up at her from beneath his eyelashes, studying her face. They sat there for a long time, looking at one another. "Do you know about the Dark and Light sides of the Force?"

"Yes,"

"And you know the Jedi were Light, the Sith Dark?"

"Yes,"

"And you know that Anakin became Vader when he went Dark,"

"Yes…"

Kylo met her eye, a confident gleam in his wonderfully familiar eyes. "I became Kylo when I went Dark."

Her heart stopped for a moment, then began to race. She looked back up at the ceiling, unsure what to do with that information. She thought about all of the horrible things she'd read about the Sith. She thought about the sweet, albeit prone to anger, kind, understanding man she knew. They did not seem at all similar. She felt him gently prodding at her mind as if asking permission; she dropped the guard she always seemed to have now, letting him in. Asking permission did not seem like something a Sith Lord would do. He consumed her reaction to it, digested it, pondered on it. "What was your name before?"

Silence, for a long time. She'd long become sure he wouldn't answer when he finally did. "Ben Solo."

Before Ikedde could do anything with that, a knock sounded on the door and Kylo- Ben?- begrudgingly allowed entry. They needed to hurry, so they did.

* * *

She did not get to speak to him again for some time. She saw him quite a lot; leading her from one place to another, sauntering around, giving orders through his helmet. But she did not speak to him.

The stormtroopers were going wild that day, though none of them would speak to her. Hux, who had taken to ordering her around, had told her to stay put close to a ship for possible evacuation, though had scoffed and lectured her when she had politely asked why. So, instead, she was wandering. She must have gotten lost, though her feet seemed to feel quite certain of where they were leading her…

"Ben!" a voice screamed. She looked over her shoulder to see two figures walking around, one of whom she could feel was most definitely Kylo. _Ben_. She had no idea what to call him now. Somehow- she seemed to focus on them. She could see them as if she were much, much closer. He froze, then turned.

"Han Solo," he said in his mechanical voice. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time." His voice broke at the end, though not with fear or sadness. Resolve, perhaps. Duty. Ikedde studied the old man, who seemed to bear little resemblance to his son. He seemed concerned, frightened- _for_ his son, not of him. He exhaled and slowly walked forward, towards his son on a long, thin bridge. _Seems like a fall hazard,_ she thought off-handedly. A door opened somewhere, though Ikedde barely took notice.

"Take off that mask," said Han. "You don't need it." He sounded just like she would have imagined from his descriptions; _scoundrel_.

"What do you think you'll see if I do?"

"The face of my son," Han said. After a long pause, Kylo removed his helmet, the mechanical sounds echoing through the empty void they stood in.

"Your son is gone," said Kylo, his voice indicating he was agitated to be called Han's son. "He was weak and foolish- like his father. So, I destroyed him."

"That's what Snoke wants you to believe," Han argued, gentler this time. "But it's not true. My son is _alive_,"

"No, the Supreme Leader is wise." Kylo insisted.

"Snoke is using you for your power. When he gets what he wants, he'll crush you." Han sounded devastated as he spoke the last few words, desperate to convince Kylo- no, _Ben_\- of what he believed. There was a pause as Han finally stopped in front of Kylo, looking him in the eye at close range. They had the same nose, same jaw, same devilish air. "You know it's true."

"It's too late," said Kylo, quieter, higher.

"No, it's not," said Han with a renewed vigor. "Leave here with me- come home. We miss you."

Ikedde could tell it was having an effect on Kylo/Ben. He blinked too often, and the cocksurity of his face had faded. "I'm being torn apart," he said. He didn't sound like a Sith Lord. He didn't sound like a quiet, impressive military man. He sounded like a scared man, talking to his father. "I want to be free of this pain," he added, face twisting a bit, eyes tearing up. "I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it." Another pause, then, weaker, almost reluctant: "Will you help me?"

"Yes- anything," said Han in his aged, gravelly voice. His brow was furrowed, his eyes fierce with a fatherly love. Ben dropped his helmet onto the metal of the bridge and took out what Ikedde assumed was a lightsaber, holding it out. Han took it with one hand, though Ben held on still. The younger man's face was now set with determination; he was set in whatever he had decided. He and his father looked into each others eyes silently for what felt like an eternity.

_Shhhooom_. The lightsaber ignited, piercing Han straight through the middle. Ikedde sucked in a breath, taking one step back. Something cried out loudly in grief. A girl screamed. Kylo's face was angry as he forced the lightsaber deeper into Han Solo, who was staring at his son, face awash with pain and grief, refusing to look away. Ikedde could feel how horrible it was to see such- anger and hatred, just as horrible as the searing pain of his wound. Kylo's face neutralized once more, eyes easily staying locked on Han's as his father's hand touched his shoulder. "Thank you," he gasped in a bizarrely sincere tone, then yanked the weapon free. As the girl screamed once more, the two men stared at each other on the bridge. Han's hand drifted up to Kylo's face, determined to look into his son's eyes until he was finally gone; he'd missed him so much. Kylo felt- strange, and more conflicted than ever, though he too was more than happy to meet his father's eye. Han fell dead off the bridge, and Kylo watched him go, entirely unsure of how he felt.

The creature cried out again, then shot Kylo in the side with a red bolt. It seemed to restore Ikedde's ability to function rather than watch; shooting broke out between what looked like a Wookiee and some stormtroopers. Her feet propelling her, Ikedde ran aimlessly, though once again, her feet felt sure.

She was off whatever ship they were on, running towards the woods, until she saw two people in front of her. "The Falcon's this way," said the man.

"Wait!" Ikedde screamed, recognizing them as the escapees. She was torn between running off with them and trying to lead them to Hux; either way, she needed to get to them. They glanced back and let her catch up, but did not stop moving.

"Ikedde?" asked the girl.

"Yes!" The three of them ran together, silent.

But Kylo was in front of them somehow. His lightsaber ignited, and slowly, Ikedde and the escapees walked forth slowly. Kylo eyed her and in an instant, she felt him in her mind and shoved him out. She didn't want him watching her as she made her decision; her mind screamed for her to run. Her heart wanted her to stay with him. The Force was torn, two voices whispering in either ear. _The Dark and the Light_.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"You're a monster," insisted the girl in a deep, pained voice.

"It's just us now," he assured her. "Han Solo can't save you."

She went to shoot him, but he flung her back with the Force; screaming, she dropped her blaster. Ikedde took a step back, terrified.

"Rey!" screamed her companion. The man ran after her, calling out her name again, and for some reason threw his own gun to the side. He muttered over her immobile body for a moment before Kylo took several steps closer, swinging his lightsaber.

"Traitor!" he screamed. Ikedde watched the now unfamiliar man standing in the snow. The man stood and turned to Kylo, igniting a lightsaber of his own. "That lightsaber," said Kylo, pointing his jagged red weapon towards the man. "It belongs to me."

"Come get it." The man ran at Kylo with a scream, swinging his weapon down. The men clashed their lightsabers together several times, Kylo back the man backwards until he fell, then sauntered away, wincing at his still bleeding wound. The traitor lunged at Kylo again, and they continued to fight, though it was clear that Kylo was far superior. One end of the red lightsaber seared into the traitor's shoulder, and he screamed. Ikedde glanced at the unconscious girl, hoping she would intervene so Ikedde wouldn't have to. However, Kylo pulled back to slash at the traitor, instead getting a slash of his own on the arm from the blue weapon. Ikedde whimpered in response, and for a brief moment, she and Kylo locked eyes. He was calm and determined. Then, he turned and their weapons crashed together several more times; the blue lightsaber went flying, and Kylo slashed up the traitors back. The man fell to the ground, silent, and Ikedde gasped louder- but he was alright. She could sense it. Kylo deactivated his lightsaber and looked at Ikedde, who was gaping at him.

"It's alright," he assured her. "Can you help me carry them back to the ship?"

She stared at him for a long time. "What have you done?"

He met her eye for a long moment, slowly processing her horror. She wanted to hide it, but she couldn't. "What have I done?' he repeated, half confused, half offended. He took a step forward, but she held her ground. "I recaptured the rogue stormtrooper and his ally, known to be helping the Resistance. I have done my job."

"And Han Solo?" she asked, voice breaking. "What was his crime?"

Kylo Ren paused, thinking of an excuse. "Trespassi-"

"Being Ben's father was his crime," Ikedde said. "Loving you was his crime." She took a few steps forward, only a couple feet away from someone she'd considered a dear friend. A man she considered good, reasonable, calculated. A man she'd come to love. He was entirely unrecognizable. "Will execution be my punishment for that, too?" She asked breathlessly. He took a step towards her, but she stepped away.

"No," he ground out, desperate not to lose her. It was almost strange; with eight words, Kylo Ren disappeared, and the boy Ben she'd gotten to know returned. He reached out for her, but again, she avoided him. "I won't let anything hurt you. Anyone. Ever. Just- come with me. Everything will be alright- we can talk at the base. You'll understand more, then." He reached out his hand at the same time she did; simultaneously, they tried to summon the discarded lightsaber. Both of them stared at it; Ikedde was full of focus, full of clarity, though her stomach was full of dread and one of those voices kept trying to urge her towards Kylo. The lightsaber flung into her hand so hard it hurt her palm. She took several more steps away from him and ignited it. "What are you doing?" he asked, half confused, half offended.

"What am I doing?" she asked, laughing humorlessly. She was terrified and she had no idea how to use a lightsaber. "I'm leaving, Kylo. I'm terrified of you." After a struggle- one where she was very aware of his tired, pleading eyes on her- she managed to ignite the damn thing and pointed it at him. Reluctantly, he activated his own.

"I won't hurt you," he said hurriedly. "I swear I won't. But you're coming with me."

"No, Kylo- I'm not." Ikedde rushed at him, thankful for all her experience hacking and hitting. She was almost thoughtless as her body moved instinctively, though she could feel the Light resisting her for her lack of attention. He only defended himself, seeming to try to brainstorm a way of subduing her without injury. But the forest was collapsing, and as he saw her apparent skill with the lightsaber- or, rather, the Force- he grew bolder in his moves, and soon, he was back her up- straight towards a crack. He was no longer reluctant and terrified; now, he was calm and sure. Fear fluttered through Ikedde, but that only seemed to make her fighting improve. She thrust her lightsaber out towards him, trying to shake his hold, but he only used her effort to shove her back- now, she was entirely too close to the crack in the ground. She cried out in frustration and fear. As his lightsaber crackled, her lightsaber hummed, and the ground behind her crumbled. She strained with the effort of trying to shove his lightsaber away, bending backwards from how hard he was leaning into her. Part of her was terrified he'd stab her and drop her off the cliff, but part of her was certain he'd never let her fall.

"You need a teacher," he snarled, looking at her with stern eyes, like he was scolding a rambunctious pupil. "I could show you the ways of the Force- the Light and the Dark!"

_The Light._ She needed both, apparently- at least to fight Kylo. She closed her eyes, and in her mind, she could see the words from one of Kylo's many books. _Be calm. Be focused. Be sure_. The Light side surged to life, and suddenly, she found herself twisting beneath his saber and flinging herself behind him. In an instant, he was following her once more, their weapons clashing yet again. As she focused, the sound and blinding lights, the rush of everything, the adrenaline began to overwhelm her; her blows grew softer and less sure, and almost tangibly- almost pityingly- Kylo's skill dropped so as to not hurt her. Angrily, she turned back to the Dark, which was oh so happy to greet her again, and she got the upper hand, slashing his leg- or maybe just his cloak? Either way, he fell to his knees with a frustrated groan. As he struggled back up, she swallowed, terrified. The lull in the fight gave her too much time to see him- his hair wet with sweat, his face twisted in exhaustion and pain, his body heaving for breath. Her heart twisted painfully, and she yearned for him as strong as she ever had. He stood and slashed his lightsaber out towards her, and she blocked it- she slashed his shoulder, and he stumbled back. As she frightfully sank into her own chest, the Darkness delightedly urged her forward, standing tall, looking for an opportunity to strike. The shot on his side was worsening, his body wanting to give in. Anyone less skilled with the Force would have surely fainted long, long ago. Their lightsabers collided and she kicked him to the ground, then waited for him to get up. Ikedde wanted him to recover; the Darkness wanted to toy with him. She wondered what he saw when he looked at her face- the girl he knew, the terrified child, or the Darkness. _He would see all three, wouldn't he?_ He flung towards her again, and somehow, their hands were close, their arms splayed, in a lock of sorts. She extinguished his saber in the snow, somehow, then slashed him across the face, all the while listening to his grunts and groans. He fell back and lay still for a long moment, and horror washed over her. She wanted to run to him, to hold him, to apologize and comfort him. The Darkness fell back as Ikedde returned to herself. He sat up- and he was fine. The slash was not serious, though it may sting a bit. He looked at her for a long time, panting. She didn't know what to say, what to do.

"Ikedde," he gasped, looking at her pleadingly. Sounds of cracking echoed around them.

"Kylo," she whimpered. The ground between them split apart, separating them. She deactivated her lightsaber, stared at the small outline of the man she loved, bleeding in the snow, then turned to help the traitor and his companion. She was already leaning over him, crying.

"Is he alright?" Ikedde asked. The girl looked at Ikedde with wild eyes.

"He's alive,"

"Good. Let's grab him and go, then,"

"And Ren?"

Ikedde felt her face grow dark. "He won't be an issue, not right now."


	5. Five - Rey

The girl- Ikedde- stayed quiet, and generally stuck very close to Augen as he tended to Finn. As Chewie grew more and more anxious with her on board, he pestered Rey more to grill her, figure out more. Eventually, she did. Ikedde looked up at Rey, who stood a few feet away, arms crossed, then looked down at the floor. "Hello," she said.

"Ikedde, right?" confirmed Rey. "Kenobi? Zjekko's sister?"

"Yes," she said. Then, she looked up hopefully. "Do _you_ know where he is?"

"No, I'm sorry," said Rey. "Finn said he didn't see him or Poe after their crash-"

"They _crashed?_"

"But Poe turned up safe and sound. We didn't think to ask…" Rey trailed off as Ikede tried to hide her surge of desperate anger. Rey didn't hold it against her, though. "You seemed to know each other. Kylo Ren and you."

She looked away, guarding her eyes, though whatever she felt Rey could tell it was quite strong. "I suppose," she said, trying to sound casual. "We spent a lot of time together after he nabbed me on Jakku."

"Quite a friend you made," Augen whispered. Ikedde looked up at him, hurt and shocked.

"He was nice to me. When I saw- what he was willing to do, I left. I might have left sooner, had you cared to try and bring me along."

Augen winced, eyes sad, then turned back to Finn. Rey sat in front of Ikedde. "He tried to convince us to get to you, but we couldn't- not with you around Ren and Hux."

Ikedde looked down, her expression unreadable. "I suppose that might be why he dragged me around everywhere," she said miserably. "So I couldn't get away."

"It doesn't matter now," said Rey, taking Ikedde's hands. The girl, however, winced and pulled away. "You're safe now. You're on your way to the Resistance,"

Ikedde looked up, silent, thinking. She still wasn't sure where her loyalties lied. "Thank you for taking me," she said with a soft sincerity. Rey smiled.

"Of course."

"Oh," said Ikedde, then produced the lightsaber. "I believe this belonged to Finn,"

Rey opened her mouth, then closed it. She took the lightsaber and turned away from Ikedde, reclining on the seat. "This used to be Anakin Skywalker's," she said softly. "And then it was Luke's."

Ikedde gawked at it in awe. "Wow," she produced reverently. Rey smiled.

The two girls got closer as they travelled back to D'Qar.

Finn was toted off the Falcon by Chewie as they called for a medic; Augen, largely untrained, had only been able to do so much, but Finn was alive. He and Chewie followed Finn and the medics away, leaving Rey and Ikedde standing side by side near the Falcon. Rey caught sight of Leia, who walked forward slowly, and she knew immediately that Leia already knew about Han. Almost afraid, but mostly grievous, Rey walked forward slowly, too. Ikedde followed. Rey and Leia paused in front of each other, eyes locked, for a moment before embracing. As if sensing the flood of pain that flooded over Rey, the mourning air about both women, Ikedde set a gentle hand on Rey's back, not disturbing their hug but comforting her newfound friend.

* * *

"What is that?" Ikedde whispered to Rey as the two droids worked to complete the map.

"The map to Luke Skywalker," Rey responded. Ikedde's eyes widened as she watched the map's completion.

"That's what Kylo wanted?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't know. To kill him, maybe. Keep him from helping us."

"She's not coming with us," Chewie said in Shyriiwook.

"Yes, she is," said Rey as Ikedde followed her. "After all, she did pay this ship- and save me and Finn's lives fighting her friend." The Wookiee glanced at Ikedde for a moment, then shrugged and boarded the Falcon. Ikedde looked at Rey, frightening, but the younger girl squeezed her hand reassuringly. "It's alright, Ikedde."

"I hope so."

* * *

On Ahch-To, Rey had Ikedde climb the rocky island with her in search for Skywalker, despite her clearly being reluctant to do so. She kept her hand locked with Rey's, holding tightly, though it made it a bit harder for both girls to progress. The island was lush and green, absolutely beautiful to behold, surrounded by deep blue water, like a vast expanse of some great mystery surrounding a haven. As they walked, it was apparent a city of small natives existed, though there were no natives to be found. Onward still they walked until they saw him- a dark grey-beige figure standing, overlooking the planet. Rey and Ikedde glanced at each other, then waited as the man slowly turned; they walked forward and he removed his hood. He was an old man, of course- as old as Han and Leia- with shimmering blue eyes and a short grey beard. His hair was long. Rey dug out his lightsaber and held it wordlessly out, a rush of emotion flooding her as he stared silently. She couldn't quite pin down the expression on his face.

They all stood completely still for a long moment, then Rey cautiously walked forward, still extending the lightsaber. After a pause, Ikedde followed. Luke, with one mechanical hand, took it, studied it… And flung it over his shoulder off the cliff.

"Er-" Ikedde began as Luke walked past them. Rey followed him, and Ikedde followed her.

"Master Skywalker…?" To the city he led them, closing himself behind a metal door. "Master Skywalker? I'm from the Resistance- we both are. Your sister Leia sent us. We need your help." Silence. Rey knocked on the door with her staff, listening to the man. Ikedde was fidgeting in place. "Hello?" Rey glanced over at Ikedde. "Grab the lightsaber, please,"

"Alright," said Ikedde, walking off. Rey, with no more options, went to ask Chewie for help.

"Go away!" screamed Luke to the Wookiee's knocking; in response, Chewie broke the door down. Luke swivelled. "Chewie, what are you doing here?"

"You're coming back with us," Chewie howled.

"How did you find me?" asked Luke.

"Long story- we'll tell you on the Falcon," Rey interjected.

"Falcon? … Wait. Where's Han?" The realization seemed to settle over him, the dread, the preemptive grief.


	6. Six - Kylo

Kylo sauntered into the room just as Hux was leaving. Snoke laughed as the two passing men glanced at each other, a smug expression on the General's face.

"You wonder why I keep a rabid cur in such a place of power?" Snoke said once Hux had gone, still amused. Kylo kneeled before the Supreme Leader. "A cur's weakness, properly manipulated, can be a sharp tool." A bit of the merriment fell from the man's uneven eyes. "How's your wound?"

"It's nothing," Kylo insisted, feeling drained and tense. He had felt exactly that way ever since Ikedde had given it to him.

"Hmm. The _mighty_ Kylo Ren. When I found you, I saw what all masters live to see- raw, untamed power. And beyond that, something truly special… The potential of your bloodline. A new Vader." Snoke said, all the while walking towards Kylo. Almost _hopeful_, Kylo looked up at him, standing there in his golden robes, his red-tinted skin bumpy and deformed. "Now," he continued, dryly, sternly. "I fear I was mistaken."

Kylo looked up as his chest tightened. He felt his face twist into that familiar expression that always came with that familiar feeling- a feeling of being cast out, shamed, undervalued. "I've given everything I have to you," he said. Everything. His life before, his life now. Ikedde. He could still hear her horror as he killed Han. He could still feel that righteous, disappointed love in Han's heart as he'd stood there bleeding on the other end of his lightsaber. Kylo had nothing, and he'd already destroyed Ben and anything Ben held dear. "To the Dark side."

"Take that ridiculous thing off," instructed a seething Snoke. Kylo obeyed. "Yes, there it is. You have too much of your father's heart in you, young Solo."

"I killed Han Solo," he said, looking up with wild eyes as Snoke walked away. "When the moment came, I didn't hesitate." He all but growled, desperate to make Snoke see.

"And look at you," said the Supreme Leader, turning back around. "The deed split your spirit to the bone!" Kylo winced, trying to convince himself that it hadn't, but all he saw was Han's face. All he felt was Han's hand. "You were unbalanced," roared the Master. "Bested by a girl who had never held a lightsaber- a girl you _stupidly_ fell in love with and put above your mission- you failed!"

Kylo surged to his feet furiously at the mention of Ikedde, but Snoke knocked him to the side with lightning.

"Skywalker lives!" continued Snoke as Kylo sat up. "The seed of the Jedi Order lives. And as long as he does, hope lives in the galaxy." Snoke sat as Kylo stood. "I thought _you_ would be the one to snuff it out. Alas, you're no Vader. You're just a child in a mask."

In the elevator away, Kylo became aware of Ikedde's presence in his mind- listening, feeling tentative and sad. She didn't react to his realization, nor did she retreat. He didn't push her out; her presence comforted him, even as he stood there shaken to the bone by Snoke. His words kept repeating in his head, what they meant- it always came back to that, didn't it? He lived in the great shadows of his family. Once, it had been in Luke's, Leia's, Han's. He could never compare to Han's flying ability, Leia's mind, Luke's ability with the Force. Now, Vader's. He was weak. He cared still for Han- he admitted it furiously, only in his own mind- and still entirely incapable of considering any harm against Ikedde. He was bitter about it. Vader had strangled Padmé- a _pregnant_ Padmé- for betraying him. Kylo had stood there and let Ikedde beat him for the same. He wanted the effect without the actions. He wanted the reward with no effort.

He was no Dark Lord. He was a child, playing pretend, in a mask.

And suddenly, furious and broken, he battered his stupid helmet against the elevator wall. He felt Ikedde, still in his mind, flinch- but she stayed, watching him, unable to look away. He felt even more childish, throwing a tantrum here in the elevator- but his anger always consumed him if he didn't let it out. The elevator doors opened and two of his subordinates straightened. "Prepare my ship," he snarled at the pair of them, stalking off- but not before dropping his helmet, which lay in pieces on the ground.

_He's wrong_, Ikedde whispered to him gently. _And so are you. You're not weak- you're very strong. Caring about people does not make you useless. And you are Dark- as well as Light. No one could exist without both._

He opened his mouth, then closed it. _You know nothing of the Force-_

_It flows through me,_ she said. _I know more than I could have thought, Ben._

He froze, feeling the fury sear through him at the sound her gently saying his name, tentative, reluctant. "I destroyed him," he said aloud.

_You cannot destroy your past. But you cannot let it control you. There is no shadow of your family anywhere but your own mind- and in someone else's leverage, if you let them use it against you like that. You can do great things- powerful things- and without causing the whole galaxy, as well as the people you love, to suffer._

Kylo closed his eyes. He wanted to teleport himself to the world she believed was real.

_You're too strong for Snoke. Too good for Snoke. Dispose of him- overthrow him. You can have power and treat the galaxy with understanding. You can be great and you can be good, both at the same time._

_That's a fool's dream, Ikedde._

_Be foolish, then, Ben, and flourish._

He swallowed. _I have to go._

_No, you-_ she began, but he shut her out of his mind- just for now. It was good to know that they could talk like this.

He missed her, so much.


	7. Seven - Ikedde

After Luke had promised to train Ikedde and Rey, the elder girl found it rather hard to sleep, sitting on the ground with her legs crossed, holding her knees tightly to her chest, watching Rey sleep. It was morning now, and she'd be waking up anytime… And soon, she did, sitting up on the bench. As Rey seemed to see something that frightened her, Ikedde instinctively pushed her way into her mind. She could feel it before she saw it…

And what she saw was Kylo, sitting across the way. He saw her, too. Ikedde's slash had left a scar on his handsome face, a pang of guilt flooded through her. They sat in silence for a moment before Rey fired her blaster into his chest-

And he disappeared. Ikedde pulled out of Rey's mind and pushed her way into Kylo's, where a ghost of quickly receding pain still lived. He was shocked, confused- he had no idea what had just happened. He noticed Ikedde almost immediately.

_Was that real?_ He demanded.

_I think so_, she responded. Ikedde saw Rey lower her blaster and stare at the hole in the rocks. Rey ran out of the hut; Ikedde followed. Kylo was trying to gain information, but Ikedde hid everything from him other than her emotions, her active thoughts. When Rey turned around, it seemed she could see him again-

And again, he saw her.

"You'll bring Luke Skywalker to me," he said, outstretching a hand, trying to use a mind trick. Ikedde glanced at Rey to see if it would work; no. Annoyed, Kylo dropped his arm. "You're not doing this. The effort would kill you." He looked behind him. "Can you see my surroundings-?"

"You're gonna pay for what you did," warned Rey.

"I can't see yours," Kylo continued as if she hadn't spoke, speaking nonchalantly, unconcerned. He looked at Rey again. She wondered why he was letting her stay. _We're on the same side, Ikedde,_ he said to her. _I have no secrets from you now_. "Just you," he said to Rey. Gently, Ikedde took Rey's hand reassuringly. _I can see you, too, now._ It felt like a strange- mist- suddenly settled over her; she'd brought herself into whatever connection they had, but only temporarily. Frustrated, concerned, her eyes searched Rey's face, but she didn't even glance at her, didn't squeeze her hand back. A pang of pain attacked Ikedde's heart. _We're the same, you and I. We only have each other. I wish you'd come back to me._ "So, no," Kylo continued when neither girl responded. "This is something else."

Luke opened his door behind them; terrified, both girls glanced behind at him, hoping Kylo wouldn't know- but Ikedde was in his mind. He knew it from that, though he glanced in Luke's direction- he didn't see him, but thanks to Ikedde, he knew it was him. It was suddenly very difficult not to think all the information she couldn't let Kylo know.

"What's that about?" asked Luke, pointing towards Kylo- no. The hole from Rey's blaster. Luke couldn't see Kylo, and even if he could… Kylo was gone now, though Ikedde was still in his mind. The natives were trying to repair it, muttering in a language unfamiliar to Ikedde. She pulled out of Kylo's mind, guarding herself, before he could gather too much information.

It was time for their training, but Rey was first. Ikedde sat in the cave nearby, though far enough away that she couldn't hear. Tentatively, she went towards Kylo- almost like knocking before entering. Without hesitation he let her in.

"Do you know what that was?" she said aloud. Alone, she had no reason not to speak.

"No," he said. It still sounded the same as his thoughts, but she could tell he had spoken, too.

"Why Rey? You've barely been around each other," Ikedde could keep the jealousy out of her voice. If Kylo reacted to it, though, he hid it too well for her to see.

"I don't know that, either," he said. "When I tried to interrogate her, she resisted me, and- I felt it then, too. A strange… Fog, a mist, connecting us. There must be something about her specifically- her and me."

Ikedde looked down at the ground, her chest taut. She ought not be jealous. It was dumb to be. This time, Kylo softened in response her envy of her friend.

"It's natural to be jealous," he said. "Just don't let it control you…" He sounded ironic when he spoke. Had she said those words to him? Yes- about the past. "And you should know nothing will change how I feel about you."

"Why didn't you kiss me? Why didn't you- why?" she asked, closing her eyes. She felt tiny and pitiful. She felt like she were nothing at all, surrounded by everything that there was.

His mind grappled with how to word it. "I need you to do things. I didn't want- our relationship to be… Ammunition to force you to do something. Back there, in the forest… I don't think it ever could have been."

"No," she said, voice breaking. "I miss you, Ben,"

She could almost feel his eyes close. "I miss you, too," he said in lieu of anger.

But someone was coming for him. He wordlessly bid her goodbye and closed himself off.

"Rey!" Luke screamed, barely loud enough for Ikedde to hear. She flung herself onto her feet at once as terror slashes through her like a knife, running forward. _Please_, she begged. _I don't want to lose someone else._

Rey was panting, her palm down on the rocks. Luke was staring at something. Neither acknowledged Ikedde as she appeared.

"You went straight to the Dark," said Luke, sounding- perturbed.

"That place was trying to show me something," said Rey, still panting.

"It offered something you needed. And you didn't even try to stop yourself." He turned and barely glanced at Ikedde, trying to stumble his way past her. He seemed to have doubled down on his stance that the Jedi ought to die, and the girls should not be trained.

"But I didn't see you," Rey said softly. "Nothing from you." Luke froze. "You've closed yourself off from the Force… Of course you have."

Luke stared at her. "I've seen this raw strength only once before," he said, ignoring her. "In Ben Solo. It didn't scare me enough then. It does now," he said, then fled. Rey watched him go, then glanced over at Ikedde.

"You're connected somehow," said Ikedde softly. "But you're different. Luke's too afraid to care enough to look." Rey nodded, looking down. She stood then and slowly walked past Ikedde. "Where are you going?" she asked. Rey didn't respond, and it was like a knife to the gut. They'd spent days together, never leaving each other's side. Rey had confided in her about her fear for Finn, her determination to find Skywalker, to save the galaxy. Ikedde had listened and supported her. They'd bonded over their similar lives, Rey's isolation versus Ikedde's prison, trapped with a brother who hated her more and more as each day went by. They'd both had a very long and strange journey after the First Order began to pursue them, with little downtime. It all felt surreal, still, sometimes.

And Rey couldn't be bothered to even talk to her now.

_We only have each other,_ Ben's voice echoed in her mind. A growing part of her wished she'd stayed with him. She knocked on the door to his mind once more, and he let her in.

_I don't know how long I have,_ he said. _Or I'd have come to you._

_It's okay. I… Need you, now, though._ She sat down on the slab that Rey had sat on. _I feel… So alone. Rey doesn't look at me. Chewie doesn't trust me. The droid doesn't know me. Luke… Is different. Broken, jaded. I miss you so much, Ben._

_I miss you, too,_ he said. _Come to me. We can be together- I won't even blame you if you don't help me. I just want you here._

She closed her eyes, yearning for him. Could she abandon the Resistance? Could she sit idly by, knowing about the monster that ran the First Order, knowing that her sweet Kylo Ren was just _letting him?_ No. _I can't. You know I can't._

A sorrowful silence settled over them as they mopily basked in each other's presence. Eventually, though, that mist settled over Ben again- Ikedde could sense it. Ben turned to see Rey. "Why is the Force connecting us? You and I."

"Murderous snake!" accused Rey. "You're too late. You lost. I found Skywalker."

"Did he tell you what happened?" The question was directed at Ikedde just as much as at Rey. "The night I destroyed his temple, did he tell you why?" he asked, walking towards her. _No_, answered Ikedde.

"I know everything I need to know about you." she said, avoiding the question.

"You do?" He stared at her, then studied her mind for a moment. "Ah, you do," he teased. He knew she didn't know _why_\- he didn't hide it from Ikedde, and she gasped as she saw it. He gingerly handed the memory to her, and she somehow pulled it into her own mind. "You have that look in your eyes. From the forest, when you called me a monster."

"You are a monster," she said.

He took a few steps more. 'Yes, I am," he assured her.

She was gone then, a wave splashing over them both. Somehow, still wherever he already was, there was water on his face. He wiped it off with his glove, staring curiously down at it.

"I'm going to try to get her to touch me," said Ben to no one but Ikedde. "To see if I go through like the water."

"That's smart," she said gently.

"Will you come with me?"

"I don't know." She swallowed. "You know what I think about the First Order. I can't-" she silenced. She didn't need to reiterate herself again. "Why did you tell me your plan?"

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea," he said softly. "I don't want to hurt you."

She wanted to curl into him. He wrapped himself around her, somehow, mentally- but it was difficult. Their own forced connection was much harder, much weaker than whatever tethered Rey and himself together. "You're so good to me, Ben," she said gently. "You could be good to everyone. You're not a monster."

"Yes, I am-"

"You didn't kill them, Ben. Snoke did. You must know that-"

"I've done far worse things," he argued. She silenced.

"You're cruel to your subordinates," she said. "You follow an evil madman. But you're not a monster."

Someone was coming. Kylo scowled at them, and they didn't speak. _You have to go_.

_I love you, Ben Solo._

_I know._

* * *

She was following Rey around like a lost puppy, though the younger girl refused to look at her. She'd grown angry and bitter for having to silently take her ostracism, preferring it but only slightly to isolation- or Chewbacca.

Suddenly, Rey froze. "I'd rather not do this now." Ikedde pushed her way into Rey's mind.

"Yeah, me, too," said Kylo. _That's not how you'll convince her to touch you, Ben._

"Why did you hate your- _father?_" Rey turned to see a shirtless Ben, looking tall and strong and broad-shouldered. He faced her, his chest slick with sweat. Ikedde might have switched to his mind if it were not such a welcome sight. However, the scar extending from his chest to above his brow made Ikedde's heart burn with remorse. "Do you have something, a cowl or something, you could put on?" Rey was agitated and disturbed. _Good,_ thought Ikedde, though it might make Ben's attempts to touch her more difficult. Rey sighed in agitation at his silence. "Why did you hate your father? Give me an honest answer." Kylo didn't respond for a long moment. "You had a father who loved you, he gave a damn about you." She was almost startled by the childish, jealous animosity Rey felt.

"I didn't hate him."

"Then why?"

"Why what?" Ben asked. Rey did not respond. "Why what? Say it."

"Why did you…" she said, her voice breaking. She'd come to think of Han as somewhat of a Father in her travelling with him. "Why did you kill him?" she gasped. "I don't understand."

"No? Your parents threw you away like garbage."

"They didn't!" she insisted angrily.

"They did. But you can't stop needing them. It's your greatest weakness. Looking for them everywhere- In Han Solo, now in Skywalker." Kylo's eye twitched. Did he tell you what happened that night?"

"Yes."

"No. He had sensed my power, as senses yours. And he feared it." Kylo pushed the memory to Rey as he'd done with Ikedde.

"Liar," she gasped, though she believed him.

"Let the past die. Kill it if you have to. That's the only way to become what you're meant to be."

He left then, and Rey stalked off. With an annoyed snarl, Ikedde followed, trying to push her way into Ben's mind. _Not now, Ikedde,_ he said. _Not unless you _need _me._

Reluctantly, she let him avoid her, but in her anger ran away from Rey. She didn't stop running until she reached their things, grabbing the lightsaber she hadn't dared to borrow from Rey. Then, she ran out to practice.

She'd been getting little training compared to Rey. She wasn't entirely sure Luke remembered her name. Rey was here to be the pupil of Skywalker; Ikedde was here because Rey wanted her surrogate father's ship, which unfortunately belonged to Ikedde. She couldn't go back to the First Order, but she couldn't rely on the Resistance, Luke, and Rey, either. She ran out to the rocks to train, slashing and dancing with the saber, growing attuned to each side of the Force. She was full of anger and resolve- calmness and fear. The two sides seemed to be working in sync- this was no challenge. She clenched the handle of the lightsaber and made her way to Chewie, who called out to her in annoyance to leave.

"I need help practising," she said, trying not to look as angsty as she felt. "All you have to do is shoot at me- shouldn't be too hard."

She got faster as he let out shot after shot, learning the ins and outs of intuiting each blast. When they were done, Chewie glanced at her. He still didn't trust her, but he'd warmed up to her slightly. "Where's Rey?"

She indicated the direction she'd last seen her. "Somewhere that way, I think. She didn't tell me." Ikedde glanced at the R2 unit sitting nearby. "You knew Luke when he was younger,"

It indicated a yes.

"And Vader- Anakin, I suppose.

Another yes.

"Did you know? Or in hindsight, at least, is it clear what he would become?"

Thoughtful beeps, then a tentative no. But he'd always been different- perhaps it could have been suspected, but it wasn't clear. Not until the end. He wanted to know why.

Ikedde looked down at the lightsaber in her hand. "I don't know. I… I'm afraid, I suppose. Of all of this, of everything- the more I know, the less sense it makes."

Sympathetic beeps. She'd have to find out how to speak his language moreso. Maybe it was the refusal of everyone else to talk to her, but she suddenly felt very connected to him.

She felt like a fool, being jerked around emotionally by everyone, desperate for some shred of affection… And the only person willing to give it to her was also willing to follow a tyrant. She'd felt attached to Augen after a few days, and he'd abandoned her. She felt attached to Kylo, and he was a puppet. She was attached to Rey, and she'd shut Ikedde out. Now, an R2 unit beeps at her for all of thirty seconds, and she's determined to learn a new language. "Thank you both. Goodnight."

She wandered off, ending up near the hut she shared with Rey. "I thought I'd find answers here," she heard Rey say. Ikedde crept into her mind. She was sad and exhausted, and a pang of sympathy flooded Ikedde, even as she was still angry with her. "I was wrong. I'd never felt so alone." Ikedde could vaguely sense some semblance of what had happened to Rey, what she'd seen."

"You're not alone," said Ben softly, intimately. His earlier assurance quelled the rising bile in her throat.

"Neither are you." Rey said.

"Rey?" Luke screamed. Still clutching the lightsaber, Ikedde hugged the rocks. Her poncho would help her blend into the rocks, and it wasn't like he could use the Force to sense her.

"It isn't too late," continued Rey. She reached out towards him, and he paused- probably not wanting to seem too desperate. He took his glove off, then slowly, their hands extended towards one another. Luke rushed past Ikedde, not even glancing at her.

"Stop!" The hut exploded, knocking Ikedde to the ground. It was several long moments of a dark pain and static hissing until she Forced herself back to reality- her head was bleeding, her arm scraped. It felt like she'd gotten a bruised rib, and her ankle was sprained. By then, Ben was gone, and Rey and Luke were fighting.

"Did you do it? Did you create Kylo Ren?" Rey demanded. Luke struck Rey's staff away, and Rey summoned the lightsaber out of Ikedde's hands. Anger seared up in her chest, but she said nothing, just watched Luke fall almost to the ground and Rey loom over him, ready to strike for a moment before lowering the saber. "Tell me the truth," said Rey as she deactivated her lightsaber.

Ikedde didn't care enough to spy, not this time. She was done following Rey around. She was done trying to coax Luke into helping them. She was done wasting her time on this island. She summoned the saber back, offering a scowl to Rey as she gawked angrily at Ikedde, then stalked back to the ship. Chewie roared questioningly at her. "She needs to train with Luke more- longer. We'll be more help with the Resistance." He roared in argument, and she turned to him, feigning patience. "Stay, then, for all I care. Stay with R2, if you must. But I am going, and I'm taking my ship. I know this Han's, and I don't want to rip it out from under you, but I have to, if you're so determined to stay."

With a reluctant howl, Chewie glanced at R2. The Wookiee followed her as she quickly readied her ship, barking orders and warnings and instructions. She dutifully took his unnecessary instructions, knowing what the ship meant to him. At the end, before he left, they paused, looking at one another.

"Don't hurt it,"

"Not a scratch," she promised.

As she was flying away, Rey and Luke beside Chewie, she heard him scream angrily- "_Liar!"_ but she hadn't lied. Her brow furrowed, but she couldn't be bothered to care beyond that. She pushed her way into Ben's mind.

_I'm busy-_

_I'm on my way to you,_ she said. _I took the only ship on the planet. Rey, Luke, Chewie, and R2 are there. I… Don't know if I'll help you, if I'll tell you. But I can't stay here anymore._

_I'm on Snoke's ship,_ he said softly. _Fighting the rest of the Resistance. I'll send you the coordinates… _

It took simultaneously too much and too little time to arrive. She was nervous as she landed on the larger ship. "Come out with your hands up!" Captain Phasma instructed from outside of the Falcon. Gritting her teeth, she obeyed. Ben stood not too far away, watching her. Seeing him in real life again- it was like a shock. She swallowed, staring at his face as Phasma handcuffed her hands in front of her. Phasma grabbed the lightsaber, but Kylo Ren interrupted.

"Put it back, Phasma," he said. After a brief hesitation, she did.

"It's yours," said Ikedde, looking at him.

"No," he said softly. "It's yours, at least until you make your own."

Phasma marched towards him, and Ikedde followed. The three walked out of the room. "Don't hurt my ship. I promised Chewie, and he's already mad at me."

"Nothing will happen to your ship," Ben said softly.

"Have you found my brother?"

"No," he said.

"Where are we going?"

"To the Supreme Leader," said Ben. "He feels that it's well past time you met."

Ikedde locked eyes with Ben. _Don't let him control you. You're better than him- stronger than him. You can fight him_. He didn't respond. "I'm sorry for running," she breathed. "I was afraid. I was foolish."

"It's alright," he said. "You're back now."

"I won't leave you again," she said.

He smiled gently. "I know."

"I love you- Kylo," she said.

"I love you, too," he said. Phasma was still with them, and amusedly, Ikedde wondered what she thought of their exchange.

Kylo led her into the elevator alone, Phasma departing. As soon as the doors closed, Ikedde tugged him down by the collar to kiss him deeply on the mouth, and he responded wholeheartedly, wrapping his arms around her. It was like a supernova blast, full of colorful light and heat against a vast expanse of cold darkness. Desperately, their tongues danced for a long moment. She felt whole and loved for that moment, and she could feel that he did, too. Without pushing her way into his mind, she knew they were connected- not like him and Rey. Not by chance, but by choice. And it was stronger and deeper and so very different. Ikedde pulled back only to set her forehead on Ben's. "You won't let him hurt me, will you?" she asked.

He said nothing for a long moment. "I don't believe you'll give him a reason to hurt you."

Her stomach fell and she froze. "That's not what I asked,"

"I know."

She pulled away and looked forward, thunder pounding in her ears. She couldn't react more than that sick feeling of being foolish. She couldn't think. She just stared forward and down, silent, in pain. She felt her heart break as several silent tears fell.

"If you don't tell him where Skywalker is," Kylo continued unaffected. "He'll take the information from you."

She was tempted just to blurt out then, spite him for lying- _he didn't have to. He could have had what he wanted and me, and he wasted me_. But she didn't, for some reason.

_What Snoke said about Hux- the 'cur' thing- he meant it about you, too._ She told him bitterly. _He thinks your weakness is needing him- validation from him, that you're the Vader to his Palpatine. Don't let it be true._ He didn't respond.


	8. Eight - Kylo

_Don't let it be true._

The elevator doors opened to reveal Snoke sitting in his seat, surrounded by the red-clad Praetorian Guard. He cleared his mind, ready to face whatever the Supreme Leader had in mind. Ben- _no_. Kylo. It had been a long time since he'd messed it up in his own head, and it felt like a defeat. _Kylo_ led Ikedde forward, one hand clutching his lightsaber, the other clutching Ikedde's shoulder. It was no use trying to hide his affection; Snoke was already well aware of it. She seemed to be repulsed by his touch now, after what he'd said in the elevator. Kylo could feel Snoke pluck the memory out of his head to examine. He knew he wouldn't find anything that would displease him.

"Well done, my good and faithful apprentice. My faith is you is restored." Kylo bowed on one knee. "Ikedde Kenobi," said Snoke. "So much of your cousin in you, for someone who's never met him- _young_ Obi-Wan, of course. Full of determination, untrained still, a rebel without a cause- but still respectful, relatively. And so much of your grandfather, as well…" Snoke leaned forward. "Young Sheev, too. Before he went Dark- or, rather, _as_ he went Dark. Sharp as a knife, full of ambition, full of a vague but undefined purpose."

"My grandfather?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "The Emperor had many concubines- many of whom bore his children."

Kylo saw her shake her head, then gently penetrated her mind. The Force told her that was not what her mother was. He wondered why… That was what Rey's grandmother had been, after all. She inhaled sharply at this revelation, but said nothing.

"So much like your grandfather, you refuse to follow me. You look to overthrow me with… _Ben Solo_," Snoke sneered. Defiantly, Ikedde raised her chin. She would've preferred hiding that from him, but it was too late now. "But, I am afraid to tell you, Ben Solo is dead."

"No," she said. "Kylo might be different, but he is the same person. Only a _fool_ would think otherwise. Are you a fool, Supreme Leader?"

Snoke laughed, half amused, half furious. "So brazen, young Ikedde," he said. He undid her cuffs. "Come closer, child," he beckoned. She obeyed. "So much strength," he marvelled. "You're a curious one, aren't you? I have no idea how you fit into this story," he remarked. She stopped, still several feet away. "Darkness rises," he said, pointing towards Kylo. "And Light to meet it. But that is Rey… Who are you?"

Kylo could tell that she didn't have an answer to that question- but she'd been yearning for it for a while now. She felt simultaneously shoved away and dragged around, but everyone, even Kylo. A bit of guilt blossomed in his chest, but he dutifully ignored it.

Snoke summoned the lightsaber from her side, glancing at it. "Skywalker! I assumed," he laughed out, setting it on his armrest. "You'll make your own, soon, should you come to your senses- closer, I said." This time, she did not budge- in turn, he Forced her closer, and she snarled in response, trying hard to control her impulse to fight. The Darkness was lapping at her live a starving wolf begging to attack, but the Light held her back, waiting patiently for the right time.

"You underestimate us- Ben and I," she said. "We will be rid of you."

"_Oh_," he said. "Have you seen something? A weakness in my apprentice? Oh- you think his affection for you is enough to turn him to your side. And you know Rey thinks he's redeemable- _she_ is the one who saw." It was hard for Ikedde not to rise to the bait, and she ultimately failed, growing furious and hardly containing herself. "Young fool," he laughed out. "It was I that bridged their minds- I stoked Ren's conflicted soul," Kylo looked up at his Master, processing this. "I knew he was not strong enough to hide it. And Rey might have been wise enough to resist the bait- but you. Another I wanted. You came running, feral for anything that resembled the only man who deigned to be nice to you." She didn't rise this time, just listened, waiting. "And now," he said, pulling her ever closer. "You will give me Skywalker."

"Ahch-To," she hissed. "Now _put me down_."

He flung her backwards, into the air in the middle of the room. She breathed hard, bracing herself should he do anything, preparing both sides in her mind. Kylo felt fear for her, desperation, flood his mind, but he forced his brain to silence and looked down at the floor. He mustn't displease Snoke. "Give… Me… Everything," he growled greedily.

"No," she protested, blocking both men from her mind. She whispered in over and over again, and the Force was like a tornado around her- hot and cold, swarming, dancing, too strong to fight against. Kylo closed his eyes. Snoke tried harder, trying to batter his way against the winds, and she screamed with the effort of bending the Dark and Light against its will, forcing them to work together instead of dancing between them both. It was unlike anything Kylo had ever seen before.

He dropped her, and she didn't have enough time to redirect her efforts to soften the blow. She cried out, clutching her ribs, trying to recover. "That is beyond impressive, young one," he said. "I could barely get anything out of you- but I know one thing. How much you care for your Rebel friends. We will go to his little planet and obliterate him, and Rey, and Chewbacca, and the droid… The traitor and your freed slave… If you submit, however, I might spare one or two- whoever you prefer." She stared at him furiously, thinking, though she wouldn't let him in to see what. She flew to her feet, then, summoning her lightsaber; it flew straight past her and landed back where it had been before. "Such spunk," he remarked. "Look here now." He flung her to the side to see the Rebel ships retreating, one by one being decimated, and she gasped. "The entire Resistance on those transports… Soon they will all be gone. For you, all is lost."

She summoned Kylo's saber and ignited it; the two guards beside her readied their weapons. In a fluid motion, she beheaded one and stabbed the other through the heart. Snoke calmed the others with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "Oh, and still that fiery spit of hope." She faced him, Kylo's weapon at the ready, full of fury and focus. She seemed hungry for blood suddenly, a strange look on her pretty face. She ran at him then, silent and willful. He flung her back and she screamed out; she dropped the lightsaber and it deactivated, landing at Kylo's feet. "And because of that… You must die." He turned her around, and she stared into Kylo's eyes, face passionately ready for anything. He was resolved to do what he must, now. He was as ready as she was. "My worthy apprentice, son of Darkness, heir apparent to Darth Vader. Where there was conflict, I now sense resolve. Where there was weakness, strength. Complete your training, and fulfill your destiny."

Kylo picked up his lightsaber and stood. Ikedde didn't react, just stared at him all the same, as if she hadn't heard what Snoke had said, as if she didn't see him walking towards her, armed and prepared. "I know what I have to do," he said calmly. Snoke laughed.

"And you thought you could turn him!" Snoke laughed out. "Pathetic child. His love is no match for the Darkness within him! I cannot be betrayed. I cannot be beaten. I see his mind, I see his every intent. Yes… I see him turning the lightsaber to strike true… And now, foolish child, he ignites it, and kills his true enemy!"

_Shhhhoooomm_. Ben's own lightsaber did not ignite, but hers did, piercing Snoke through the spine. A victorious, loving glint entered Ikedde's eyes, and she grinned at him, full of a lively and righteous pride. "Yes," she gasped reverently. He couldn't help but smile a small smile in return. She summoned the lightsaber, severing Snoke in half. The rest of the Praetorian guard came at them, and Ben was purposeful in his movements. He and Ikedde fought them all, two against six. Ben sent two flying with one clash of their weapons, dodging the attack from the third. He killed one and disarmed another, defending against the third as he scrambled to re-obtain his weapon. He grabbed hold of him and threw him into the other just in time to avoid his attack, glancing over at Ikedde, he saw she had dispatched of one, injured another, and was easily holding her own against a third; she killed him too, ducking under their locked weapons and slicing his head from his body. The injured one returned to her just as Ben busied himself once more with his own fight; his lightsaber collided with the weapons of the guards and they pushed him back, but he violently shook it free, sending one falling into the lightning hole beside them. The force sent his lightsaber flying, too, landing far away. He had to dance out of the way of his last enemy's weapon, though, keeping him from searching for it. The guard nearly had him in a choke hold; Ben struggled against the staff, trying to force it away. He watched Ikedde's right hand be grabbed by her own guard, avoiding his other weapon as she tried to wrench free. He saw the Light side take over as she calmly dropped her saber and wrenched downwards, grabbing it and slicing the man in half. She turned to see him there, and he could see the panic on her face.

"Ben!" she screamed, and whipped her lightsaber his way. He caught it and quickly dispatched the only remaining guard, who fell behind him. Ikedde summoned his lightsaber from where it lay disposed of; at the base of Snoke's lifeless skull. They stared at each other for a long moment before she rushed toward the telescope lens. "The fleet," she said. "Order them to stop firing; they're still time to save the fleet." He walked over to stare at Snoke's legs, still sitting in the chair. "Ben?" she asked softly.

"It's time to let old things die," he said.

"You cannot kill the pas-"

"Snoke, Skywalker. The Sith, the Jedi. The Rebels. Let it all die. Ikedde- join me." He walked towards her as he spoke, feeling sure that she would. She stared at him silently, pensively. He tried to push his way into her mind, but she resisted. He wasn't sure what that meant. "We can rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy."

"Order them to stop-"

"No, no," Ben started desperately, then grew angry, frustrated. "You're still holding on! Let go!" She shook her head, trying to think of how to speak. "You wanna know what really matters about your parents? Not your father's relation to Obi-Wan, not your mother's relation to Palpatine. What really matters is that they're dead, and you're alone now- except for me." Her mouth fell open and her eyes grew dark, and he knew instantly how that sounded. "We only need to worry about each other," he said. "We're all that matters- you, and me. Not the past. You have no place in this story- you're barely related to Obi-Wan, you have no connection to him. Palpatine had a great many bastards. You're nothing. You're nothing." He was calm again, his voice gentle and casual as he spoke the word- _nothing_. Her eyes were downcast as a single tear fell. Without even seeing her mind, he knew she knew that. "But not to me." She looked back up at him, sucking in a breath. "Join me," he said, and extended a hand. When she didn't react, he moved closer, still sure she would… Until he wasn't. "Please," he whispered, and it shook her to her core. She shuddered again.

"Save my friends," she said, a tear falling.

"Ikedde-" he snapped, looking down, trying not to yell.

"Save them," she continued, louder. "And I will join you. I will rule with you- but you _will_ take care of the galaxy and everyone in it. Those people on the transports are not in the past, Ben. They're in the present, and they need you. Don't spit on the past, don't spite it. That's still letting it rule you."

Ben considered it for a long moment, then nodded. "Fine. Yes." He nodded harder, then walked to the intercom. "Cease fire on the Rebel transports, but follow them."

A pause. "Ren? Where's the Supreme Leader?" Hux demanded furiously.

"Snoke is dead," he said. "I killed him. I am your Supreme Leader now."

"What are you-" started a terrified Hux.

"Come up here and see for yourself," he started coldly. "But if you don't stop firing beforehand, you will be walking to your death." After a moment, the firing stopped.

"Can we figure out which one has Augen on it? And Finn and Leia?"

"Maybe," he said. "Come with me." He led her to the elevator, but paused in front of it to look over his shoulder at her. "I will kill Luke Skywalker," he assured her.

She sucked in a breath, then exhaled it and looked down. After a moment, her face grew strong and she nodded, looking back up at him. "Alright. We need to deal with this first, though,"

He relaxed, then entered the elevator. He let his heart truly celebrate then, finally. They would rule together- there would be compromise, but they would be together. "Of course."


	9. Nine - Ikedde

"Do you think he'll bow to you?" she asked as the elevator neared its destination.

"He'll bow to me, or he'll perish," Ben said. Ikedde nodded gently.

"Thank you," she breathed. "For saving them."

"I said we'd rule together, didn't I?" he said softly. She closed her eyes and smiled, then leaned against him.

"I love you, Ben Solo."

"I love you, too," he said. "Don't call me that in front of anyone else."

"As you wish," she said amusedly.

"Besides," he said. "'Ikedde Solo' just doesn't sound very good, does it?"

Her heart fluttered at his words, and she looked up at him, but the elevator opened and they walked out together. He offered his elbow and she took it. A sense of surrealness washed over her, then a happy determination. It was all going _wonderfully._ They could do anything together.

Hux eyed them both for a very long time. "Supreme Leader," he greeted after a moment. Ben's eyes seared into Hux's, intimidating the General.

"Hux."

"Who is… This?" Hux asked, forcing a cordial smile onto his face as he looked at Ikedde.

"Your Supreme Sovereign, of course," Ben said without hesitation. "My wife… Ikedde Leukmoeder." Hux processed this, then smiled again and bowed to the two of them.

"A pleasure, Supreme Sovereign," he said. She nodded in response. Hux looked at Ben. "We are, as I'm sure you're aware-"

"Ready my flagship," he said.

"Sir," said Hux. "Our ship has been compromised. We're all headed to Crait."

Ben rang his tongue over his bottom row of teeth, then nodded. "Alright. I expect you to inform me just how you allowed our main flagship to be compromised later."

"Yes, sir," said Hux softly.

"The Falcon," Ikedde said to Ben as they walked.

"You don't need it now,"

"I promised Chewie I-"

Ben gave her a look, and she responded in turn. He sighed. "You go. You can land it on my ship." She went to walk away from him- vaguely remembering where she'd left it, when he grabbed her arm gently. "Wait," he said. She turned to him. "As beautiful as you are, you don't look like a Sovereign,"

She glanced down at her dirty, sweaty clothing, what she'd been wearing since Eckarr, washed twice. Her hair was falling loose. She had no idea how horrible she looked, and she doubted that she wanted to know. "Thank you, my love," she said sarcastically. He smirked, then let his eyes close. She watched as small swirls of Force danced around her- changing her. By the time it was done, she wore a great white dress with a scarlet cape, red shoes, red gloves; her hair was done up magnificently; she felt makeup on her face. She pushed her way into his mind to see herself. She looked- strange, unlike herself. She looked like a Queen.

"You look like Padmé," he finished for her.

"For all your talk of letting the past die," she said. "You seem to hold onto Anakin and Padmé."

Alarms began to blast out around them. "You need to go," said Ben.

"Be safe,"

"You, too."

It wasn't long until they reunited. Phasma once again led Ikedde to Ben, though now her helmet was damaged, a piercing blue eye visible behind it.

"Ah," said Ben, extending an arm. Again, Ikedde took it, looking out at the slowly closing metal door of the Rebel base. "There you are."

"Here I am," she said. "But how are we going to get in there?"

"A battering ram cannon," said Ben.

"A what?"

Ben only smiled at her, pointing to it. "It will get us in there."

Just as he finished talking, starfighters flew out of smaller doors on the shield, shooting away. It was no use, though- they wouldn't break through any of the Order's defenses. "Connect me to one of them," Ikedde said. No one moved; they all glanced at Hux, then Ben.

"You heard her," snapped Hux. "Connect to one!"

"Hello," said Ikedde. "To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

"What? Er- Rose Tico," said a woman's voice. "You- you must have gotten General Leia's message!"

"No, I'm afraid not," Ikedde responded. "I need to speak to someone- what was his name?- Poe! He must be in one of those ships."

"A-alright,"

After a few moments, a man's voice spoke. "I'm kind of busy at the moment-"

"It's Ikedde," she said.

"Ikedde? Are you still at Ahch-To? How is this message reaching so far?"

"No," she said. "I'm aboard one of the ships you're shooting at. Snoke is dead."

There was a pause. "Snoke is-?"

"Ben Solo- Kylo Ren- killed him."

"Is Rey there, too? And Skywalker?"

"No," she said. "They're still on the island- on Ahch-To. Skywalker was… Difficult. Rey needed more time, but I saw my opening, and Kylo and I killed Snoke."

"So, what, now a different madman is going to-?"

"No," she said. "You're not being fired upon, are you?"

"You've got a battering ram pointed straight at us,"

"For the door. To talk to you." Ikedde said. Poe said nothing for a long moment.

"Put us through to General Organa," said Ben.

"Please," added Ikedde. After a moment, he did. "Leia? It's Ikedde,"

"Ikedde? Did you find him?"

She was getting annoyed at repeating herself. "Yes. He's fine, he and Rey and Chewie and R2 are still on Ahch-To - I left. Snoke is dead, your son is in charge, and we aren't going to hurt you. Tell the fighters to stop shooting, please." Leia didn't respond.

"Don't listen to her," Finn said. "Ren killed Han- I saw it."

"Yes," said Ben. "I did. And the only thing keeping me from killing all of you is my Supreme Sovereign's wishes. I suggest you comply before I change my mind."

"Stop talking like that," Ikedde said. "Everything will be fine-"

"How can we know that?" Leia asked. "How can we believe you?"

"Let just me in- in a small ship," suggested Ikedde.

"No-" started Ben, but she waved him off.

"Through one of those doors, like the fighters left through. I'll be your insurance."

"One moment," said Leia. Then, the line went dead. A few moments later, though, the shooting stopped and the fighters landed. Minutes passed before one of the fighters climbed out- Poe.

Ikedde looked at Ben, who was frowning, tense. He didn't like this plan, she gathered. "I'll be alright," she said softly. "Land the ship, close to that fighter." Ben followed her out, his leather glove clutching hers, red against black. Poe studied the two of them for a long moment.

"Just Ikedde-"

"He's just seeing me safely to the ship," Ikedde assured him. She smiled tentatively as he eyed her wearily. She glanced down at her dress. "Extravagant, isn't it? I didn't pick it."

"Fit for a queen," he said, almost mocking.

"Supreme Sovereign," said Ben, annoyed by the fighter.

"I didn't pick that, either," she said.

"Come on, then," said Poe. She climbed into the second cockpit, though it was difficult to stuff the bottom of her dress inside. She felt strangely embarrassed about it.

The other fighters waited there, and Ben sauntered away, back onto the ship. Before she was out of sight, he pushed his way into her mind. _I will raze the Resistance to the ground if they hurt you, Ikedde_, he warned.

_They won't_, she insisted. Probably.

_Very reassuring_.

They landed close to the door, climbing out of the old, rusted plane. Leia was already waiting for her, along with a sea of other people. Augen stared at her, almost- horrified.

"Augen," she gasped. "Thank goodness you're okay,"

"I'm fine," he said shortly. She inhaled sharply at his- disregard. She looked down. _We only have each other._ Those words always seemed to ring true.

"Where's Rey?"

"Ahch-To. With Skywalker." Ikedde said. She suddenly felt tired and miserable. She supposed he had no reason to care about her, they barely knew each other.

"You took her ship?"

"It's my ship," said Ikedde.

"It was Han Solo's," he argued.

"I bought it,"

"Not from him."

Ikedde swallowed and closed her eyes, then looked at Leia. She and Ben had the same eyes. "Are we done now?"

"I don't see how Kylo Ren is any better than Snoke, if Snoke even is dead," said a blonde girl with buns. Ikedde looked at her, then used the Force to cast the vision of what happened forward- from Ben betraying Snoke, to the two of them fighting the Praetorian Guard, to Ikedde pleading for Ben to spare them. Admittedly, she stopped it before Ben admitted to wanting to kill Luke.

_A good choice, I'd say_.

"She's not lying," Leia said quietly.

"So, what?' asked Poe. "You're gonna hold his collar all his life? And we're supposed to trust you both?"

Ikedde looked over at him, eyes gentle. "You don't have much of a choice, do you?"

"What has he done to you?" asked Augen.

"He hasn't done anything," said Idekke, looking at him.

"You're not the girl who ran from the First Order on Eckarr," he countered. She gasped, then tightly closed her jaw. "He didn't do anything to me. He is a smart, capable man who is going to lead this galaxy."

"He's just another tyrant," Augen countered. "And now," he glanced at her dress. "So are you."

"You can think whatever you want to, Augen," she said. "It doesn't matter."

"What now, then?" Leia asked. "You let us go, just like that?"

_No_, said Ben. _We don't trust them not to attack us_.

"Sure," she lied. "As long as you let us give you all a ride."

Poe laughed dismissively. "So you can kill us all?"

"No," she said, looking at him. "So we can ensure _you_ don't kill _us_."

Ikedde walked towards Leia, making the rest of the rebels tense, some grabbing their guns. Ikedde held out her hand. "You use the Force, don't you?"

"Yes," she said.

"Take my hand. I won't let any harm come to you or any of the Resistance. You have my word."

"What about Kylo Ren- the _Supreme Leader?_" asked bun girl.

"She'll see," Ikedde said. "He cares about me. He'll do what I ask- at least little like this. And don't underestimate the care he still has for his mother,"

"A lot of good that did Han," Augen snapped.

"He was still under Snoke's thumb," she said. "He only killed Han _because_ he still loved him."

"And that makes it okay?" Poe asked.

"No," she said, looking over her shoulder. "It doesn't."

Poe looked over at something past Ikedde and tensed, eyes changing. Everyone else looked, too-

Luke Skywalker. _Oh no- Ben. Don't hurt him. Not until the Resistance has surrendered and they can't know about it._

Silence for a long moment as he thought. Luke came ever closer in the meantime. _I won't let them know,_ Ben said. _That's all I can promise._

"Luke," said Ikedde. "How's Rey?"

"Rey's gone. On her way to you," he said. He looked her up and down. "Wasn't nice of you to leave her."

Ikedde frowned. "She was preoccupied, if you don't remember."

"So were you,"

"Was I?" Ikedde asked. "You only taught her. I got the scraps of your training, if anything. I was of no use to anyone there… And if I'd stayed, Snoke would still be alive."

Luke glanced at her dress again before looking at his sister. "Leia," he said after a long moment of silence. Ikedde looked down. It was pointless to speak. No one listened anyway. _Except you, Ben_, she thought fondly. He responded gently, mentally nudging her.

"Luke," Leia said. "I know what you're going to say… I changed my hair."

Luke got a small smile in response. "It's nice that way," he informed her. "Leia… I'm sorry,"

"I know," she said. "I know you are. I'm just glad you're here."

"I came to face him," he said. Then, he glanced at Ikedde. "He can't be saved."

"I held out hope for so long…" she said. "Too long to just give up now."

Luke looked down, jaw clenching, eyes closing. He opened his mouth, but closed it once more. He seemed to accept that he wouldn't be able to change her mind. Instead, he held her hand, and she smiled down at the contact; when he pulled his hand back, a pair of golden dice was sat there. Ikedde recalled them vaguely to be from the Falcon. Luke gently kissed his sister's forehead, then walked over to C-3PO and winked his way.

"No matter what happens," said Ikedde. "You'll need a ride. You don't have any sufficient way off of this planet." Leia looked at her, then nodded.

"We'll come with you," she said.

"What-?" started Poe.

"Trust me, Captain," said Leia. "Let's go. Raise the door."

They all walked together- the Resistance, Skywalker, and Ikedde. Much to her surprise, Leia grabbed Ikedde's hand and squeezed. With a bright smile, Ikedde squeezed back. "Thank you for trusting me," she said.

"Thank you for what you've done with my son," Leia responded. She looked down.

"I haven't saved him. He's not magically a good person just because he's nice to me," Ikedde said gently. "His redemption will have to be slow, action by action, working to make the galaxy as good as he can."

Leia smiled brightly out at the sky. "I know. But you've convinced him to try."

"He can hear us," she said. "Ben. He's heard everything,"

"How?" asked Poe.

"He's in my head," she explained. "He heard what Luke said. He's going to accept the fight."

"Of course he will," said Luke.

"Master Skywalker?" Ikedde said.

"Yes?"

"You're an asshole."

He looked over at her, brow furrowed. Leia seemed amused. She wondered if Leia knew what her brother tried to do to Ben.

As they grew ever nearer, and the people from the trenches and planes joined them, Ben Solo walked out of his plane once more. The Resistance formed a sort of half circle around the two of them, Leia at the front. Ikedde walked confidently towards Ben, kissing him tenderly on the mouth and switching their lightsabers; they still were swapped from before. "I believe in you, needless to say," she said.

"I know," he replied. "I love you," he said, taking her face in his hands for a moment.

"I love you, too."

Ben looked over at his uncle, face set. Ikedde glanced at him, too. "You know," she said harshly. "I doubt Han Solo would be particularly happy about you trying to murder his son." Ikedde left the _again_ off.

"I guess we'll never know," said Luke, stared at Ben.

Ben sauntered out towards his uncle, his cape billowing behind him in the wind. The salt here had been destroyed by the ship's landing, only a blood red mud remaining. It was… Quite a dramatic sight. He easily dropped the cloak on the ground and walked forward further still, then ignited his saber. Luke followed suit; as they readied themselves, a ship came into sight. Ikedde knew it had to be Rey.

Ben was fierce and aggressive in his attacks; Luke was calm and purposeful in his defense. It felt like watching the Light and Dark incarnate.

"I failed you, Ben," said Luke. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sure you are!" Ben screamed back. "The Resistance is dead. The war is over. And when I kill you, I will have killed the last Jedi!" The ship landed. Ben barely seemed to notice.

"Amazing," said Luke. "Every word of what you just said was wrong. The Rebellion is reborn today. The war is just beginning. And I will not be the last Jedi." Rey ran out, an unfamiliar green lightsaber already ignited. Luke held up a hand to stop her as she set her sights on Ben. "This is my fight, Rey."

The girl stared at him for a moment, then sneered at Ben, and finally settled her eyes on Ikedde. "I've seen everything," she snapped, walking forth. "You've joined him. You didn't even try to convince him to turn!"

"I convinced him to rule kindly-"

Rey stalked forward. Tensing, Ikedde took out her own saber but did not ignite it. "You indulged him that it was okay to be a tyrant!"

"He won't be a tyrant," Ikedde argued.

"He's _Supreme Leader_," she snarled. "That doesn't exactly sound like the people's savior!"

"It doesn't matter what you think, Rey," said Ikedde. "What matters is that things will be better now- for everyone. Put your lightsaber down!"

But she didn't. Rey ran at Ikedde with a scream; almost instinctively, Ikedde Forced her dress to mold themselves into pants, her cape to shrink, her hair to shift into a more fight-appropriate style. She ignited her lightsaber and defended herself against Rey.

"You're both going to die here!" Ben screamed, his own fight still paused.

"Funny, I was just going to say the same thing about the two of you!" Rey countered. Ikedde didn't want to kill her; she never made an offensive move.

Ben finally ran at Luke again, and the two pairs fought in relative silence for awhile, save for the grunts of Rey and Ben. Luke stumbled back after Ben got the upper hand; Ben advanced, lightsaber at the ready. "Strike me down in anger and I'll always be with you." Luke said gently, deactivating his lightsaber. Ben paused, and Luke got to his feet. "Just like your father." Their eyes stayed locked for a long time before Ben sliced through the middle of his uncle with a scream. He disappeared.

"No!" Rey shrieked, giving Ikedde the opportunity to kick her in the back of the knee. She fell and Ikedde wrenched her lightsaber away.

Ben turned, only to stare at the reappeared Luke. He walked forward calmly, lightsaber outstretched, but the phantom Luke was unaffected. "No," whispered Ben.

"See you around, kid," Luke said, then faded away.

"No!" he screamed so loudly it echoed over the vast nothingness. He looked over at Rey with a fury in his eyes.

"Ben-" Ikedde started, but it was too late. Ben sent his lightsaber straight into Rey's chest. "No!" she screamed, grabbing Rey before she hit the ground. "Rey, no!' She wept out. Rey gawked at her.

"No," she gasped. "No."

"I'm sorry- I'm so sorry," Ikedde whimpered. "Rey… Rey!" She put her hand over the wound, trying to heal it, but the Light was eluding her, and the Dark was clueless how to help. "Please, don't die," she begged. "Please, please, please…" But the girl's head fell limp, lifeless, and Ikedde screamed again, eyes closing. The sound was so loud and high it sounded like a siren, like a Banshee's wail. She sobbed, then set her down and looked up at Ben, who stared at her silently. "You swore to me, Ben Solo!" she spat out, stumbling to her feet. She pointed her saber at him and it ignited instantly. "You swore not to hurt my friends!"

He stared at the lightsaber for a long time, then looked down at the ground. "I know," he said softly. The sound broke her heart.

"You know?" she said, still sobbing. She walked closer, and as she did, Finn hurried to Rey's body. "What the fuck kind of response is that?"

"I don't know!" he said, louder, pained. He took a step back, then looked up at her. He was- frightened. She saw the same expression he wore the night he left Luke's temple, and her face fell a bit. He stared at her lightsaber again, and she deactivated it.

"Look at me, Ben. Look at my face." She walked forward the rest of the way, and he looked at her. "You need to control the Dark side in you," she said.

"I know," he said. "I don't know how,"

She dropped her weapon in favor of his hands, and he looked down at them. "Close yourself off from it," she said softly. He stared at her face, brow twitching. "Just for a bit. Until you're in control again."

"I'll never be who I used to be," he said almost pleadingly. "Why does no one understand that?"

"I understand it," Ikedde said, squeezing his hands. "But you don't have to be the man who kills people in fits of rage either!"

He closed his eyes, pulling back, walking a few steps away. "I don't think you have any idea what severing the Force is like-"

"Would you do it if you could? Instantly, right now?"

He turned to her, looking into her eyes for a long moment. He glanced down, then over at Rey's corpse, still being held by Finn. Rose, Augen, Poe, and Leia had walked over to mourn with them. He looked away again. "Yes," he said.

"You mean that?"

"Yes," he said, meeting her eye. Ikedde held out a hand and severed his connection. He gasped, feeling it instantly- it wasn't painful, but it was sudden, and it was _different_, immediately. He stared down at his own hands.

"The effect won't be immediate," she said.

"How did you do that?" he asked softly.

"I don't know."

"How did you know you could?"

"I didn't."

He looked up at her, then over at the ship. "You're going to have to do- the heavy lifting."

"Okay." Ikedde looked over at them. "C'mon. I want to get off this damned-" Rey's body faded away, becoming one with the Force.

"I'm not going anywhere with him," said Poe.

"Neither am I," growled Finn.

"Take the Falcon then," she said. Chewbacca wailed out. "Go with them."

"We can't trust them," said Ben.

"I know," Ikedde said. "I'm not going to imprison them."

"They're war criminals, and they'll keep fighting," Ben said.

"Maybe." Ikedde said. She glanced at them. "I hope not. The best I can do is protect our people and give them a reason to see we aren't their enemy- Snoke was."

Ben shook his head, turning around, seething. He was trying to control his anger. "You're making a mistake."

Ikedde looked out over the remnants of the Resistance. "Any of you are welcome to come. I can understand if you don't."

"I'm coming," said Leia.

"What?" Poe hissed.

"He's my son," she said. "And he's trying. I'll help him however I can."

"It's the best hope we've got, isn't it?" Rose spoke up. Finn especially gawked at her. "There's so few of us, and no one answered our call. If they can make things better- why not try?"

Finn, Poe, and Augen separated themselves from Rose and Leia. Bun girl joined the boys, and slowly, the other Resistance members picked a team. Chewie, of course, joined Poe- the droids, even BB-8, chose Leia. Poe looked at BB, devastated. "No, buddy- come here,"

BB beeped anxiously.

Poe's mouth worked for a long moment. "Please, BB,"

It rolled next to him slowly.

"This is goodbye, then," Leia said to him.

"I guess," he said, looking simultaneously horrified and resigned. "Take care of yourself."

"May the Force be with you," Leia responded. "All of you.

Ikedde held out her hand to Poe; a moment later, an advanced radio had flown off the Order's ship and into it. He looked down at it. "I hope you'll see things improving," she said.

"I do, too," he said, taking it. "I really do."

She watched them walk away. '_My friends'_. Finn didn't care about her. Augen was convinced she was as evil as he saw Ben. Chewie had written her off before they'd even known each other. She barely knew Poe, and he certainly didn't trust or like her.

Rey had been her friend, possibly. She stared sadly at the empty mud that still showed the imprint of her body. A lot of good that had done her.

"Let's go, then," said Ben softly.


End file.
